Silver and Gold: Part One: Past to Future
by Lycanwolff
Summary: A quiet Spring day is shattered by the volatile arrival of an unnamed woman with terrifyingly high spiritual pressure. She joins the academy to learn to hone this power, but when her past starts to catch up to her, she is forced to set a plan in motion that somehow developed a kink. AU, three part story with multiple pairings. This is just part one.
1. Chapter 1

**Silver and Gold: Past to Future**

 **A _Bleach_ fanfiction**

 **By Lycanwolff**

 _ **Authors Note: Ok! So this is my first time posting in a different fandom, other than ME so um... Be nice? Maybe? Besides that, this is pretty AU-ish so just enjoy it for what it is. I did enjoy writing it ^_^. So um... Yeah... Enjoy! Also, to square up the timeline, up until the time skip, Byakuya still wears his scarf, kenseikan and regular captain's coat. After that, it's the custom haori with the silver hair piece. Sorry if it got confusing!**_

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 **Part 1**

 **Chapter 1**

The sun was high, shining brightly against the purest of blue that was painted with sweeping strokes of white. The air rustled with a gentle breeze that was not unlike the softest of whispers, spreading the aroma of freshly bloomed cherry blossoms that filled the large garden.

It was this breeze that delicately tore the pink petals from their places, swirling them in dances through the air until they touched down without a single sound on top of the long pond that teamed, or at least had been, with the giant koi that had been apart of the Kuchiki family for eons.

In the young afternoon and modest heat, content with tea and a small plate of crackers, the 28th head of that very family sat at a small table with a book in hand. His jet black hair, as dark as a moonless sky, hung softly around his neck and shoulders, with several locks gently fluttering over the left side of his expressionless, yet handsome face. His silver eyes traced over each page of his book as he lifted his cup to take a sip of tea, having been a gift from his fellow captain, Jūshirō Ukitake, for his last birthday only a few months prior. Though he would never admit it out loud, he praised the Captain's infallible ability to always have the best of teas.

He turned the page and began to read, taking another modest sip of the hot brew and allowing it a moment to rest on his tongue, if at all to savor the subtle white flower flavor. He released the flood gates to let the liquid slide down his throat, the aftertaste being subtly sweet, but not so much so as to invoke his distaste for sweet things. It was a rather pleasant sensation that did not overstay its welcome.

The moment the aftertaste had taken its leave, he went to take another sip, but as the porcelain cup touched his stoic lips, the entire estate of the Kuchiki manor rumbled and shook violently. The jarring only lasted for a moment before beginning its echo through the entirety of the Seireitei, no doubt drawing attention.

The tea, as well as its vessel, clattered to the floor, spilling over the white captain's haori, and his book, to burn for the barest of moments against his hand that had been in the way as it fell. He stood and brushed off what he could from his clothes, but to no avail, as the liquid had molded into the cloth as nearly as soon as it had touched it. The man sighed and began to wonder what in all of Soul Society could cause such a ruckus and he had two theories; Renji Abarai, or Ichigo Kurosaki.

But when he opened the elegant sliding doors of his chosen room, both of his explanations had fallen flat. Despite the sun, which was clearly still visible in the blue embrace of the sky, it appeared to be raining.

His face remained unreadable as he studied the sight of the water falling down over the gardens, and it was then that he realized where the water had come from, as it was not the sky that had born the rain, but his prized koi pond that did.

As he stepped out into the garden, not caring about the water sprinkling over his clothes, which was the last remains of the unholy splash, he took in the sight of his pond being nearly entirely emptied of the water that had been so beautifully dancing only a moment before. The garden was littered with small koi, flopping and flailing to be returned to their watery heaven and it was then that he breathed a silent thank you to the small, pink haired thief whom had grown an addiction to stealing his more prized fish to place them in the lake at the Ugendo.

With another sigh, he closed his eyes and used the time to bring the building frustration back under his control. For someone on the outside looking in, he was simply standing there in the middle of his garden, enjoying the Spring air, but there was one, singular clue that betrayed the stoic, aristocratic stance of Lord Byakuya Kuchiki. It was his tightly clenched fists that hung at his sides and shook from the sheer amount of strength he was using to make them.

"Lord Byakuya! My Lord! Are you all right?" An older man exclaimed as he ran as best he could across the gardens, dressed in gray robes that trailed over the ground that indicated the man was Byakuya's attendant.

At the calling of his name and title, Byakuya opened his eyes and looked at the approaching man out of the corner of his eye, "I'm fine." He said simply, releasing the tightness of his clenched fists.

"What happened, My Lord?" The man gasped with aged eyes scanning the young head of the clan for any sign of injury, only to see none.

Without a word, Byakuya simply stepped forward to the edge of the pond and peered down at what remained. Only the last few inches of water had returned to the bottom, not nearly enough to spare any of the koi from a slow, suffocating death. However, it wasn't the ailing plight of the fish that caused the lord to express moderate shock, but rather the unconscious woman laying propped against the pond's liner, adorned with patchwork and tattered rags that caught his breath in his elegant throat.

"Retrieve Captain Unohana immediately." He ordered calmly and in his deep voice.

Byakuya jumped down into the pond with a shallow splash that soaked through his white socks in the same instant. He crouched down by the woman's side with eyes scanning her for any injuries. There was a smeared trail of blood that had been partially washed away by the water that stemmed from a gash in her forehead. The cut was deep, tattered as if made by claws instead of a sword, and indeed, he had seen enough of these wounds to know that it had been caused by a Hollow.

His eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments as he reached for her, intent on at least hoisting her from the confines of his ruined pond. But the second, the very moment his fingertips grazed over her partially exposed shoulder, his breath was forced back into his lungs with malicious intent.

The massive amount of spiritual pressure that boomed from her was enough to cause the captain to begin to choke with the inability to breathe. His chest crushed from the weight, spasmed out of his control as he was forced down onto shaking hands and knees, gasping, choking and coughing. The sheer weight of it was enough to feel as if he had every single Shinigami standing on his back, stacked high to the heavens with the goal of crushing him alive.

Byakuya forced his eyes open to see the lavender aura that raged out of control from the unconscious woman and he knew then, that the sudden crush of spiritual pressure was a result of an unconscious desire to protect herself. He forced himself to move, still coughing, still choking, to reach forward and place his full hand against her shoulder where he unleashed his own torrent of spiritual pressure simply to hold hers back.

In an instant, relief from the weight showered over him, releasing its hold so he could breathe. The amount of time that this reprieve would bring was unknown, so without hesitation, he hoisted the woman into his arms and lifted her from the pond to place her on the dampened grass. He removed his captain's haori and placed it over her in an attempt to keep her warm, and the action seemed to calm the tsunami of spiritual pressure that had simply reacted out of desire to protect her from the unknown.

His chest heaved with breaths as if he had just finished with training that had lasted for days. His whole body ached, his head whirled, but despite that, he regained his stoic composure and brought his spiritual pressure back under control once the woman's had calmed to a tolerable degree. It was then that his attendant and Captain Retsu Unohana arrived.

"Captain Kuchiki? Are you all right?" She asked in her soothing voice as she hurried over and crouched down at his side.

"It is not I you must concern yourself with. It is her." Byakuya answered, the only evidence of his plight being that of his mild panting.

Captain Unohana, concern clear in her dark blue eyes, shifted her gaze to the woman at their feet with ebony hair that stretched down to her lower back.

"Who is she, Captain? Where did she come from?" Captain Unohana asked as she reached for the woman, only to be stopped when Byakuya quickly grabbed her wrists.

"I would not recommend that, Captain. This woman's spiritual pressure is enough to crush even me." Byakuya warned calmly.

"What? That can't be right. If that's the case, Captain, how do you suggest we transport her to the Squad 4 medical facility?" She asked, taking back her hands from his forced grasp.

"I will do it. Her pressure calmed once I covered her in my haori. Perhaps there is an unconscious understanding that I will not hurt her unless given reason." Byakuya said evenly as he slipped his arms beneath her with no violent reaction from the woman, proving his theory to be correct.

Captain Unohana began to lead the captain of the 6th division with his carried cargo towards her medical facility that was Squad 4. The woman's hair trailed towards the ground, swishing back and forth with each step in wet strands that had twisted into thick dreads from built up filth. Her pale white skin was scuffed with scratches and bruises from what he guessed was long hard days in one of the many, less than safe districts that were scattered throughout Soul Society. She was surely no child, evident in her moderately developed figure, but she had no muscle definition, no proof that she was strong, let alone healthy and he attributed this to that it had been hard for her to find something to eat.

They arrived at the Squad 4 medical facility where Captain Unohana guided him to an empty room where he could place the woman in the bed that rested against the wall, beneath the large window. He placed her down once Captain Unohana had pulled back the blankets, and he couldn't help but notice how gaunt her cheeks were and just how emaciated she appeared.

"She looks so frail." Captain Unohana said quietly as she removed the haori and handed it back to its rightful owner.

"I would agree. My guess is that she hails from one of the outer districts. How she came to crash land in my pond however, is a mystery." Byakuya said, letting the haori drape lazily over a forearm instead of putting it back on.

"Perhaps it is an answer you will be rewarded with once she wakes." She said softly, gently tucking the woman in whose spiritual pressure had yet to violently reawaken from the care.

"Perhaps." Was all Byakuya said before turning to leave.

As he left the room and shut the door with the quietest of wooden thunks, he was content to simply walk in silence back to his estate to begin the long process of restoring his koi pond back to its former glory. But as he walked, his still damp feet scuffing against the smooth and polished wood of the medical facility, his lieutenant came running down the hallway at a full and rather terrifying sprint.

"Captain! Captain! I just came from your estate! What the hell happened there? It looks like you got in a fight again with Captain Zaraki?" Boomed Renji Abarai, his cascade of bright red hair swishing back and forth as he ran.

"If it had been a mere spat with that barbarian, than I am sure my estate in its entirety would be leveled." Byakuya said with no reaction to the thought as the taller, red-headed and hot-headed male came to walk by his side.

"I'd pay to see that." Renji grinned.

Byakuya simply huffed, but made no attempt to entertain the lieutenant.

"Did you feel that spiritual pressure? It was... It was immense!" Renji continued, his voice far too loud for the confines of the hospital.

"This is a medical facility, Lieutenant Abarai. I recommend you keep your voice in check." Byakuya said with a sidelong, irritated glance at the man.

"Oh... Sorry, Captain." He rubbed the back of his tattooed neck.

"To answer your question. Yes, I felt it." Byakuya added.

"What was that?"

With a heavy sigh, Byakuya stopped his walk down the hallway and turned to face the taller lieutenant.

"Your task is to go to each captain and have them meet at Head-Captain Yamamoto's office immediately. There is a matter we must discuss. As soon as more answers become available, I will forward them to you should it be required that you know." Byakuya said with an air of officialism that made Renji stand up straighter than normal on his 6'2 frame.

"Yes, Captain!"

With no other words passed between them, Renji simply vanished, having flash stepped off to carry out his given order. Byakuya was grateful for the newfound silence as he resumed his walk to leave the hospital, still holding the stained captain's haori over his arm. Blood from the woman's wounds had trickled onto its white fabric, blotting the edges of the gold trimmed hem with bright red that he knew would take some effort in order to remove.

It wasn't just the haori that needed a cleaning however, as his black shihakushō was now scented with the dried aroma of what remained of his tea. He knew before meeting with the Head-Captain, that a change of clothes was in order, as no Kuchiki was going to attend a meeting looking disheveled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Captains meeting room was dimly lit, much like it always was, with candlelit sconces dotting the walls at even intervals. The barred windows lined the upper part of the outside wall, providing a source of fresh air from outside as it was forced through by the breeze that all the captains were thankful for in the stuffy room.

Lined up in two rows that faced each other, the summoned captains stood and listened to what Byakuya had to say, his telling of the woman's volatile arrival and the experience of her spiritual pressure that nearly brought him down to a crumbled corpse. Many of their faces were adorned with looks of mild disbelief that even the great Byakuya Kuchiki had nearly succumbed to spiritual pressure when even the Head-Captain's wouldn't even phase him.

When he had finished speaking, the room fell silent, but it only lasted a moment before questions began to be asked.

"Where did she come from?" Asked Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the 13th division, from his usual spot at the end of the same row.

"I do not know, but if I were to guess, one of the outer districts, if not living on her own outside of them." Said Byakuya.

"Most of her injuries were received by... other means, but the wound on her head was clearly received from a Hollow. What is odd is that no alarm was sounded that a Hollow was even sighted in the area." Said Captain Retsu Unohana as she delicately adjusted the thick braid of black hair in front of her that hung over her neck and chest.

"Then it must have been from an outer establishment. One far from the Rukongai." Said Ukitake.

"I would agree. Perhaps it was this Hollow that sent her flying to crash land in Kuchiki's pond." Said Captain Shunsui Kyōraku out from underneath his straw hat that had been turned down to cover most of his rugged face.

"That's some hit. How is it she didn't die?" Asked Kenpachi Zaraki with a grumble from his thick throat.

"Unfortunately, all we can do at present is speculate." Byakuya said simply and with no expression across his face.

"Regardless of all our unanswered questions, we must stay vigilant in this matter. If this woman's spiritual pressure is as powerful as Captain Kuchiki claims, then it may bring down the Hollow that she faced. I want all squads to establish a watch rotation for the next several nights until we can restrain her spiritual pressure." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto, whom never once removed his only hand from the top of his gnarled cane.

"Yes, Head-Captain!" All the captain's said in unison.

"I will send a team to investigate the outer reaches. This Hollow must still be out there." Said Captain Soi-Fon, rocking forward on one foot to reveal herself from behind the massive Kenpachi's stature.

"No. It would be fruitless without any knowledge of where to look. Your men will stay put, Captain Soi-Fon." Head-Captain Yamamoto said just as soon as she had finished speaking.

"But, Head-Captain-" She tried, only to silence herself when the end of the wooden cane banged into the floor.

"I said no!" He boomed.

"Yes, Head-Captain." Is all she said, stepping back into place.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you will develop a similar device to restrain her spiritual pressure in the same way you did for Captain Kenpachi Zaraki." The Head-Captain said.

"I will need to get an accurate reading of her spiritual pressure in order to do so. Perhaps this is a phenomenon that I can study and subsequently exploit for our gains." Answered the painted captain with his mane of blue hair and constant toothy grin.

"There will be no dissecting of this woman! Your task is to only produce a suitable inhibitor so as not to lure every Hollow from Hueco Mundo." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto with a stern scowl set within his wrinkled face.

"Hrmph. Very well. I suppose." Grumbled Captain Kurotsuchi, crossing his lanky arms.

"I will, however, allow for a measurement of her spiritual pressure to be carried out immediately." The Head-Captain added.

"I will have the woman brought to the Department of Research and Development as soon as we break, Head-Captain." Said Captain Unohana with a slight bow of her head.

"Very well. Dismissed!"

As the captains turned to leave the stuffy room, Byakuya broke from his usual wordless retreat and approached Captain Unohana, whom was already surrounded by several others.

"I would like to accompany you, Captain Unohana." Byakuya interjected as he came to stand next to Captain Ukitake.

"I was about to request you do so, Captain Kuchiki. As you are the only one of us with first hand experience with her spiritual pressure." She said, her deceivingly delicate hands clasped in front of her.

"What was it like? Her spiritual pressure, I mean." Asked Captain Ukitake, his voice deep, hoarse even, from the most recent bout with his illness only days before.

"Crushing. It felt like I was forced to hold up the entirety of existence on my back. Nothing I could do would allow me to breathe and the only course of action I could take was to shield myself with my own. Even then, I could still feel the weight of it." Said Byakuya, his shoulders rolled back to bring him to his full height, which was slightly shorter than Captain Ukitake's.

"That's immense pressure." Captain Kyōraku gasped, having finally tilted his straw hat back to reveal his middle aged features and trademarked lock of brown wavy hair that dove down in front of his face.

"I will admit that I am intrigued." Byakuya admitted.

"As am I. I would like to accompany you with this woman. A friendly face will probably come in handy should she wake during the measurement process." Ukitake said, resting a thin hand over his chest from the lingering ache.

"I agree, Jūshirō. Where Captain Kurotsuchi's mind is brilliant, albeit mysterious, he does not invoke feelings of comfort." Unohana said with a visible shutter that made the tiny wisps of hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Well, if you're going, Jūshirō, so am I." Said Kyōraku with a tip of his hat.

"Wonderful. The more friendly faces, the better. I sense she will wake soon."

The group of four captains headed for the medical facility where the woman remained, still sleeping, under guard, in the same room she had been placed.

The wound on her forehead had been treated and wrapped with white bandages, clumping her dirty bangs around her face and the dirt from her scuffed cheeks had been wiped clean. Her hands, that had been scuffed with scratches, had also been wrapped with soft bandages, along with her right elbow from the apparent beating she had taken from whatever had thrown her the distance into Byakuya's pond. He was not under any delusions that all her injuries were a result of the mystery Hollow, as he was sure her landing had produced more, caused by the stone pebbles that littered the bottom of the pond. Despite being smooth and water-worn, they could still scratch at delicate skin.

With the woman resting comfortably on a rolling bed and covered by a thin sheet that was held at each corner by a captain to protect her from the sun, they made their way to the industrial looking tower of the Department of Research and Development where all were positive that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was impatiently awaiting their arrival.

They were right.

"It's about time. The Reiryoku Detection Chamber has been ready for ages." Mayuri complained as the group entered the dark laboratory.

Byakuya's eyes briefly narrowed, as the captain of Squad 12 always managed to grate against his nerves. Even steel could be scuffed.

"I would've figured patience was one of your virtues, Mayuri. It can't be a quick process to put all that make-up on every morning." Kyōraku quipped with his mouth taking on a crooked and pleased smirk at the jab that visible irritated the scientist captain.

"Nemu!" Mayuri barked of his right hand, a petite pretty looking thing that managed to put up with his constant abuse.

She went to a large rounded and glass walled chamber with a collection of heavy cables rising out of its top, only to disappear into the dark of the ceiling that could not be seen. With little effort, she opened the glass door, swinging it outwards, and motioned for the woman to be brought inside.

Releasing a sigh that was laced with the air of uneasiness, Unohana took the rolling bed from the squad member that had accompanied them, and wheeled the woman into the center.

"Good. Now get out." Kurotsuchi hissed, his typical, vial demeanor taking over with is eagerness to continue.

With the door closed, the captain went to a bank of consoles along the right side of the glass chamber. His thin, boney fingers worked the controls with ease, ordering the machine to hum with a low tone that all could feel in the sole's of their feet. The chamber glowed with a subtle blue, illuminating their faces from the dark of the mad scientist's lab and it was in this light, that Byakuya noticed the angry sneer that covered that very scientist's painted face.

"What is it?" He asked, never once removing his eyes from the captain.

"There's barely even a blip! This girl has very little spiritual pressure!" Kurotsuchi snarled as he clenched his fists into unthreatening balls on the consoles.

"It reacts defensively. Your only detecting what is leaking." Byakuya said with the barest of nervous pangs in his stomach at the thought of just what the man would do to invoke such a response.

"Oh? Well then. This shall do it." Kurotsuchi snickered.

It was that very snicker that caused the nervous pang to roll, forcing Byakuya to intake a long, chest filling breath simply to cover it up. All the present captains seemed to agree with his feeling, as all of them followed suit in taking in their own breaths as they watched and waited.

His snicker continuing, Kurotsuchi commanded the chamber to do his bidding, as a flash of white energy snapped inside, crackling in the air like a bolt of lightning that had just broken free of its cloudy prison. The energy flicked against the woman with a hard crack, licking at the exposed portion of her thigh below her tattered clothes.

The energy had done the trick, as the woman's body erupted into angry tendrils of lavender that snapped and whipped in every direction in order to defend her from the encroaching energy at Kurotsuchi's command.

"Yes! There it is! Now lets measure just how much you have." He cackled as he continued his work.

The machine began to whine and hum, a sound that echoed in their heads as if they had been standing inside the world's largest bell the moment it was struck. It was unpleasant to say the least, but in the blue and lavender tinted light, the shock that had replaced Kurotsuchi's expression of excitement was strong enough to catch all of their attentions.

"What is it, Mayuri?" Asked Kyōraku, taking the chance to go and stand next to the scientist to take a look for himself.

"This can't be! Her levels are rising! She's already surpassed Captain Kuchiki!" Kurotsuchi gasped, his voice strained with shock and with eyes that never left the screens, let alone blinked.

"He's right. Her levels are approaching Zaraki's without the eyepatch and fast. At this rate... She could reach Old Man Yama's... Maybe even surpass it." Kyōraku said, looking at the others with concern clear in his expressive brown eyes.

"No wonder she was attacked by a Hollow. She's a lure to them without proper training." Ukitake said with eyes locked on the chamber that was becoming too bright to look at.

"Her spiritual pressure was entirely shielded until I touched her. I sensed nothing until then." Byakuya said simply.

"Self taught, or did someone teach her?" Ukitake asked.

"Only she can answer that."

Silence fell once more as the machine's whirring hum leveled out to a gentle rumble that could no longer be felt under their feet. The blue and lavender light faded until only the lavender remained, an aura surrounding the woman in its attempt to protect her from the snaps of violent energy.

However, this aura, this lavender shield refused to go away, not wanting to withdraw out of the shared fear that more fingers of energy would reach out for her like desperate hands.

"What's wrong. Why won't she calm?" Ukitake asked, his concern distinguished in his features.

"She still feels threatened." Byakuya said quietly, his eyes never faltering from watching her.

Unsure of what to do, the captains stood in silence and watched, waited, for the aura to calm, but it never wavered, even when the woman began to stir.

Her movements were barely noticeable at first, only her fingers twitching, but soon, her head lolled to the side to face them. Her brow crinkled in discomfort, squeezing her eyes shut until her lids finally relinquished the treasure hidden behind their pale curtains. Bright vibrant gold stared back at them through the lavender aura, her uncertainty and fear clear within their borders. They widened as she set her eyes on her audience, all of them, and they especially took concern with the painted face that stared back with grinning teeth of gold and mane of blue.

Her fear taking hold, she jumped to her feet, backing way from them until she could go no further, slidding down the glass to cower and hoping the act would hide her from the many sets of eyes.

"She's terrified." Ukitake whispered, taking a step forward towards the glass door, where he knelt down to her level with nothing but kindness on his face.

"Be careful, Jūshirō. With these levels, she could cause irreparable harm to you." Kyōraku warned, having come to stand with Byakuya and Unohana to watch what unfolded.

"We won't hurt you. It's alright." Ukitake said quietly, his voice airy and soothing.

The woman quivered in fear against the glass behind her back, her golden eyes rapidly shifting to each captain before starting their rotation anew.

"My name is Jūshirō Ukitake. What's yours?" He asked, softly placing a hand on the glass door with an open palm.

The woman bit her chapped bottom lip, but the fear that had taken hold seemed to ebb along with her lavender aura.

"N-Nyruki... Nyruki Sawada." She said, her slightly deeper voice echoing within the glass chamber.

"We won't hurt you, Nyruki. We're only here to help." He said. Maintaining the kindness was second nature to him.

"What's going on? Where am I?" She asked, eyes never once losing track of any of the captains looking back at her.

"You're in the Department of Research and Development. We were measuring your spiritual pressure." Kyōraku said, copying the same kindness exhibited by his best friend.

"It's high, huh?" Nyruki asked, seemingly as if she already knew.

"Very. What happened to you? Do you remember?" Ukitake asked, never moving from his spot.

"I... I was... I was attacked." She said, cowering even further back into the glass as if it would help.

"By a Hollow?" Byakuya asked.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes. A big one... I think. I never actually saw it, I only sensed it. I-I thought I had masked myself, but I guess it wasn't good enough."

"So you know how to control your spiritual pressure?" Ukitake asked.

Again, Nyruki nodded, "Yes. My father taught me when I was younger."

"Who is your father?" Ukitake asked as soon as she stopped speaking.

"I don't know his name. To me, he was Father." She said, finally settling her shifting eyes on Ukitake.

"Did you reside in the Rukongai?" Asked Byakuya, taking a step forward towards the chamber.

"No. Father said it was too dangerous, so we left to live on our own when I was a teenager." Nyruki said, wrapping her arms around her knees to hold them to her chest.

"Can you describe the attack?" Kyōraku asked as he grasped his forearms in his sleeves to hide his hands.

Nyruki couldn't look at anything them as she spoke.

"I... I remember I was... um... walking through the forest not far from the cave when I sensed it was near. It was so sudden that I didn't even have time to really think before I ran. That's the last I remember. I was knocked out." Nyruki said as a heavy sheen built over her golden eyes.

"That Hollow must have hit you with some serious force because you ended up landing in his koi pond in the middle of the Seireitei." Kyōraku said with an amused grin across his lips as he pointed a thumb at Byakuya.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry! I-I can't pay for them, but I can work! I'm a real good worker!" The woman spat out as fast as her tongue would allow.

She was silenced when Byakuya raised a hand and shook his head once.

"Nothing that cannot be replaced." He said evenly, lowering his hand back behind his back.

Kyōraku leaned to his left, bringing his shoulder in contact with the noble's, "How old do you think she is? She's no child."

"If I were to guess, I would say she is around 200 years old." Byakuya said with a single nod.

"Come here. I promise, you are not in any danger." Ukitake urged, fully sitting down on the floor and keeping his palm on the glass.

With another bite of her bottom lip, Nyruki hesitated for a few moments before she scooted along the floor, coming to lean against the glass in front of him. She rested her shoulder against it, hesitating more, as if waiting to see what would happened, but inevitably, she raised her palm and rested it over his with the glass between them.

"Can you calm yourself? Can you rein in your pressure?" Ukitake asked, his voice even lower than normal.

"Yes."

Nyruki closed her eyes and evened her breathing as her fear had begun to fade because of the kind face in front of her. It didn't take long before the lavender aura calmed, becoming more and more subtle until it entirely retreated back into her body. Her success was even confirmed when the consoles beeped that her levels had decreased.

"Good. You did very well, Nyruki." Ukitake said with a small comforting smile.

"Thank you." She returned the smile.

"Your levels are incredible! I would love to perform more tests for my databanks!" Kurotsuchi suddenly boomed from the consoles, his fear inducing grin spreading across his painted face.

The thin layer of air surrounding Nyruki's skin began to glow again with a barely visible hue of lavender, "Stay away from me!"

"Calm down, Nyruki. Your tests are done. There will be no more." Ukitake said as he rose to his feet, blocking the door from the approaching scientist.

"What? You can't be serious! She's too valuable!" Kurotsuchi scowled as his thin fingers curled out of frustration.

"There will be no more, Captain Kurotsuchi. Your only remaining purpose is to develop an inhibitor to suppress a large amount of her spiritual pressure." Byakuya interrupted, sending a stone faced glare towards his fellow captain.

With unintelligible grumbles, Mayuri Kurotsuchi simply turned to his consoles, seemingly unwilling to bicker with the captain of the 6th Division.

"Fine. I'll begin immediately." He grumbled lowly.

Ukitake sent Byakuya a silent and thankful nod before he crouched once more to look Nyruki in the eye as he spoke.

"Come on. Lets get you out of here." He smiled.

"Yes please."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I hope you all are enjoying this! ^_^ Read and review!**

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 **Chapter 3**

The sun's warmth felt like the welcomed embrace of her father and it was a comfort to be out of that frightening, dark place. The light and the Spring aroma was enough to help keep her calm, as her father had always said that a calm mind leads to a calm body and with her amount of spiritual pressure, she couldn't afford not to have as such.

She simply walked alongside the many captains, wrapped in the pink kimono from the one whom had called himself Shunsui Kyōraku. She felt heavy, weighted down from her rather savage lifestyle of living in the forest, struggling to survive and wasn't often she was given the chance to bathe on a regular basis. She wasn't sure where they were going, but so long as it was away from that Department of Research and Development, she didn't care.

"Where are we going?" She asked, glancing up at Ukitake whom was significantly taller than her.

"I suppose we should discuss that. You have nowhere to go." Ukitake said, returning the glance and providing a smile.

"I can manage on my own. I have been for decades." Nyruki said, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"How long have you been on your own?" Unohana asked kindly.

"About a hundred years. My father was killed when I was a teenager." She said, wrapping Kyōraku's pink kimono around her tighter to cover her near completely.

"By that same Hollow?" Byakuya asked blankly.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes. We didn't have a good way to defend ourselves. Only Father's rusty sword that he had made himself."

Ukitake sighed as he place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch hard from the touch. He took it back.

"He died protecting you didn't he." Ukitake said lowly.

"Yes. All I could do was suppress my spiritual pressure. I can't fight. I had gotten good at it, but even with all of my concentration, it still leaks." Nyruki said, bowing her head out of remembrance of her father.

"No doubt. Your spiritual pressure is higher than Old Man Yama's. By quite a ways actually. Only those with hundreds of years of experience and training can suppress that amount without help and not have it leak. I can feel it right now in fact." Kyōraku said, his hands still stuffed into each sleeve of his captain's haori.

"I know you can. I tried my best to hide it, but it wasn't enough and it got my Father-" Nyruki began, only to have her voice trail off as she hugged herself in the pink flower printed kimono.

"You did what you could. Your father's death is no fault of your own." Ukitake said.

"I tried to convince myself of that, but in the end, there was nothing I could do but watch him die by something I couldn't see. It's been a long time since I've discussed that night. I would like to never again have to remember it." Nyruki said, finally raising her head and revealing her large, sad golden eyes.

"Hopefully now, you won't have to." Ukitake said, again with his soft smile.

Nyruki returned the smile, but it only lasted a moment before Captain Unohana spoke, still with her hands clasped pleasingly in front of her.

"I would like you back tomorrow for a thorough examination and some more healing. I'm not quite satisfied that you're at your best. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave to attend to my other obligations." She said sweetly before heading down one of the crossroads, reducing the group to four.

"As must I." Byakuya said as he made to leave, only to be stopped by a hand snatching a handful of his Shihakushō sleeve.

"I'm sorry... About your pond." Nyruki said with sincerity that equaled her barely controlled spiritual pressure.

With no reaction, Byakuya simply looked at her and shallowly, barely visibly, bowed his head, "I have said before. Nothing that cannot be replaced."

With that, the noble turned and headed down the opposite crossroad, leaving Nyruki, despite his words, feeling as if he was angry that such a prized pond had been destroyed by her carelessness to hide her spiritual pressure. The roller coaster of guilt filled her being, and it caused her to hunker down even further into the pink kimono as if it would hide her from sight. She knew however, that it wouldn't, so instead of trying to hide, she would swallow down her feelings and press on. It was all she could do.

"Well, I suppose that leaves either you, or I, Shunsui. Where does she go?" Ukitake asked, breaking the silence to Nyruki's relief.

"There's no need. Your kindness has been greatly appreciated, but I'll find my own way. Perhaps I'll even find my way home." Nyruki said as she removed the pink kimono to hand it back to its rightful owner.

"Nonsense. You leaving the Seireitei will only put you in harms way and at the mercy of this mystery Hollow. You may stay at the Ugendo until a more permanent arrangement can be made." Ukitake said, shaking his head and resisting the urge to put a hand on her shoulder, concerned as to why she had flinched.

"I don't deserve such kindness." Nyruki said, bowing her respects to the man with long and flowing white hair.

"All souls deserve kindness." Ukitake said, widening his soft smile.

"He's always been that way, so you might as well get used to it." Kyōraku said as he refused to take back the pink kimono from her hand. She needed something to wear that wasn't tattered rags

"Come now, Nyruki. Let us get you cleaned and in a proper change of clothes." Ukitake said with an extended hand down the crossroad directly in front of her.

His kindness was almost too much, as it forced her to produce a thankful smile across her bitten and red lips. It helped to keep the uncertainty at bay, to keep the fear of the unknown away which in turn, aided in her rough ability to keep her spiritual pressure under control. She had always feared what she possessed, always hated that it had so many times brought trouble to her and her father. She blamed her power for his death, but no amount of self loathing would change her sorted history. It was just something she had long since come to accept.

With her smile as her thank you, she followed the kind captain's lead down the crossroad.

* * *

The morning was chilled, but not wholly cold as to warrant more than a thin blanket and a hot cup of tea to stave off the crisp air. The lake outside the modest estate was alive with the morning splashes of the massive koi whom had become accustomed to their new home, jumping free of the water to rejoice in the fine Spring morning in the same way that the birds sang their songs.

Sitting up in his bed, with a thin blanket over his shoulders and a steaming hot cup of tea in his hands, Jūshirō Ukitake read through the many reports that often greeted him in the mornings. The tea soothed his aching throat and chest, providing a much needed reprieve from the ever present, sometimes worse, ache in his ravaged lungs.

Suddenly, a soft knock at his door broke through the morning stage that had been set by the scenery outside his open window.

"Come in." He said softly as he took a sip of his medicated tea.

The door quietly slid open as a small young woman entered with a small plate of food in hand. She had shortly cropped brown hair that fluttered in the morning breeze and her large doe like eyes were a vibrant shade of hazel.

"I've brought your breakfast, Ukitake-Sensai. Would you like it on the table?" The attendant asked as she walked to the small rolling tray table next to his bed.

"That will be just fine. Thank you." He said with a brief glance up from his papers, still with his contented smile in place.

She set down the small plate on the table and positioned it next to him so that it was within his reach, before she bowed and turned to take her leave.

"Leesy, could you do me the favor of checking on our house guest?" He asked, stopping her at the door.

"Of course, Sensai." Again, she bowed before leaving the room and closing the door.

Returned to the quiet of the morning serenade, Ukitake found where he had left off in his morning reports. He sighed as he read about how the 13th Division, specifically two of its members, had broken out in a bickering battle over the silliest of things, namely whom had finished the sake while out to eat at one of the many restaurants that dotted the whole of the Seireitei. It was their usual behavior, but not un-welcomed due to that most of the time, their antics were comical and a good laugh always helped to push the thought of his illness from the back of his mind.

However, the serenity of the morning was shattered when Leesy burst back into his room without so much as a warning, nearly causing him to spill his piping hot tea all over his chest from the sudden ruckus.

"Sensai! Ms. Sawada is missing! She isn't in her room!" She yelped, worry clear in her young features.

"What?" Ukitake leapt from his bed in a smooth and single motion, managing to place his tea on the tray while he moved.

His reports splattered to the bamboo floor as he sprinted passed her and ran down the hall to the last room on the left, throwing it open to confirm that what his young servant had said was true.

Nyruki's bed was empty, its covers missing entirely and the window was open, leading out into the garden that surrounded the expansive lake. He stepped inside and looked around, but there was no sign of her. It was almost as if she hadn't been in the room at all until he looked beneath the bed at a corner of the blankets poking out.

With a tilt of his head in curiosity, he stepped up to the bed and crouched, leaning his head far over to peer beneath the wooden frame at a crumbled ball of blankets with a river of clean obsidian hair spilling out from beneath them.

He sighed with instant relief as he reached forward and pinched a corner of the blanket between his thumb and forefinger and slowly, seemingly holding his breath, lifted it to reveal Nyruki's sleeping face, squished against her hands that were clasped together and serving as her pillow.

"There you are." He whispered, smiling as he looked back at is worried attendant, "I've got things from here, Leesy. Thank you very much."

With a bow, the young woman left to return to her duties as Ukitake looked back at the sleeping Nyruki whom seemed so content to be hiding beneath the bed that he almost decided to leave her there. He released the fabric and gently rested his full hand on her covered shoulder to give her a gentle shake which proved more than enough to wake her up from her slumber.

However, she didn't simply open her eyes from the movement, they shot open wide with sheer terror. She scurried back against the wall with sparks of lavender beginning to surround her body and the weight of the air began to press down on his shoulders.

"Whoa! Whoa, easy, Nyruki. It's just me. It's Jūshirō." Ukitake said quickly, holding his hands up in defense to show he was not an enemy.

"Wha?" Nyruki asked as she blinked several times to bring her vision into focus, panting from the sudden shock of being awoken.

"It's alright. It's just me... Why are you underneath the bed?" Ukitake asked calmly, sitting down on the floor to help put her at ease.

Nyruki simply breathed for a few moments as her heart returned to a normal pace and she fully realized that she was not in harms way.

"It... It was too soft. I'm used to sleeping on the floor." She said, making no attempt to move from the safety of being beneath the bed.

"I see. I had thought you left when my attendant said you had vanished." Ukitake said.

"I didn't mean to worry you. I wouldn't leave without expressing my gratitude for your kindness." She said as she deemed it safe to began scooting towards the man.

Ukitake stood and stepped back, giving her the room she needed to wrest herself from underneath the bed. She popped up onto her feet, still wrapped in her blanket cocoon and sat down on the bed that was too soft with a muffled plop.

"I understand," He sighed, "I was hoping to discuss something with you that Captain Kyōraku and I touched on yesterday." He said as he tightened his morning robe around him a bit.

"What about?" Nyruki asked, curling her knees into her chest.

"I want to discuss, perhaps, you attending the Shinigami Academy. You can receive proper training on how to keep your spiritual pressure under control as well has learn how to combat against the Hollow." He said, taking a seat next to her on the edge of the bed, making sure to leave some room out of concern of startling her once more.

At the mere mention, her golden eyes widened, "Really? I could learn how to fight the Hollow?"

Ukitake nodded once, "Yes, you can. Would that be something you would be interested in?"

"Really?" Nyruki erupted, causing Ukitake to jump from the sudden burst of energy that came out of the freshly awoken woman.

However, it was not solely her excitement that caused him to hold his breath, but the sudden return of the weight against his shoulders that bore down on him far heavier than before. The weight was steadily growing, compressing his chest to the point that the ever present ache morphed into all out pain.

His lungs began to hop with a sudden cough, the force only adding painful fuel to the painful fire as he felt the iron tang creep up into his throat. His coughs grew into harsh, double toned rasps as blood seeped from between his lips and he was forced to cover his mouth with his hands in an attempt to stem the flow.

"Ukitake-Sensai? W-What's wrong? Are you ok?" Nyruki asked, worry coloring her pretty, but gaunt features.

She jumped to his side as she placed her hands on his shoulders to help keep him up, his coughs ragged, angry as his eyes squeezed shut with each heave.

"Y-Your... P-Pressure." He coughed out, blood trailing from the corner of his lips to his chin.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Nyruki pled, forcing herself to concentrate to bring the crushing weight back under her feeble control.

As a minute passed, the unbearable weight lifted from his shoulders and chest, releasing its hold and allowing his breathing to resume its normal functions. The cough continued to persist as his attendant rushed in, holding a fresh hot cup of tea that she immediately handed to him and helped guide to his lips.

"Drink, Sensai. It will calm your illness." She said, helping Nyruki to hold him up.

"What's wrong with him?" Nyruki asked, her worry still driving her as she rubbed his back out of a desire to do anything to help ease the pain that she caused.

"Ukitake-Sensai is very ill. An illness he has lived with for his entire life." Leesy said, taking a small rag she had brought with her to dab away the blood at the corner of his mouth.

"What illness?"

"An incurable one. I only live by the grace of a fallen god." Ukitake said with a rasp in his voice that lingered on each word.

"I... I'm so sorry. I sometimes lose control when I get excited. I didn't mean-" Nyruki's voice trailed off as she shook from barely contained emotion.

Seeing this shake, Ukitake raised a hand and rested it on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze, but this time, she didn't flinch.

"Do not worry yourself for me. This is common place I'm afraid." He said, taking his hand back immediately so not to make her uncomfortable.

"Still... You didn't need me losing control." Nyruki said as she tried to hide in her blanket cocoon.

"All the more reason for you to consider the academy." He said, managing an honest, genuine smile across his pale lips.

Nyruki tightened the blanket around her as if it was a shield guarding her from whatever threat may linger in the room. The kind man's coughing had calmed, leaving his voice airy and rasp laden, but it was still kind, almost as if he was entirely made of it. His brown eyes were still full of life, still a warming shade of chocolate despite the illness that, on a daily basis, tried to claim him for its own. It was a comfort to see such hope in those eyes, such rebellion against forces that sought to end it, and it drove her to make the decision she thought right.

No more would she allow her power to control her.

"I wanna join the academy." She blurted out, leaving the blanket on the bed in a heap as she stood, now clothes in plain blue robes that Ukitake had let her borrow.

"Are you sure this is what you want? I want you to want this for yourself, not because Captain Kyōraku and I think it would benefit you." Ukitake said, managing a shallow swallow before taking a mouthful of his tea.

"Yes. No more will someone suffer because of me. Having me here is a danger to everyone and that is no way to say thank you to such a kind man." Nyruki proclaimed, her small fists tightening with her bloomed determination that was as new as the Spring season.

"It will not be easy, Nyruki, but with your potential, you have a chance at achieving something great." Ukitake said, relieved that the dull ache in his chest had returned to normal.

"I want to try. No matter what, I want to try." She said confidently.

With a soft clearing of his throat, and with a bit of help from his attendant, Ukitake rose to his feet, still with a smile in place.

"Then it shall be."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Four years later**

The winter had finally given way to the rebirth of Spring, warming the freezing air to a fresh blend of freshly bloomed flowers and crisp air. The sky was no longer a lifeless gray, but blue that was as pure as the crystal waves with a sun that was so bright, its mere rays were enough to mesmerize even the strongest of Shinigami.

Four years it had been since arriving at the Shinigami Academy with only the clothes on her back and the gratitude for a man whom had shown her kindness, as well as a place she could call home. Three long, trying years that had resulted in a graduation with her head held high and Zanpakutō at her side. She had graduated fast, taking three years, and had even gotten assigned to the 13th Division for her first year as a fresh Shinigami to learn and train with that very same man.

But now, she had new orders.

She no longer wore the tattered rags, but the familiar black Shihakushō of the Shinigami with white obi around her waist that held her Zanpakutō to her hip. Her sleeves were trimmed to her upper arms with a thick golden band that encircled one, far more defined bicep, and the collar of her top did a modest dive, revealing only a tidbit of her chest that was wrapped with black bandaging. Her hair was still long, but far healthier, falling all the way to her lower back. She had pulled it up into a high ponytail with several locks that had fallen loose that she had colored snow white in honor of her first Captain, new father figure and friend.

But that is not what typically caught the attention of her peers, but rather the black collar with silver twist clasp around her neck that did. That is what aided her most in controlling her massive amounts of spiritual power instead of solely relying on her will power, which only marginally worked. That black choker is her restraint collar.

This first day of Spring however, was a nervous one for Nyruki Sawada, as she had just received her new orders to join her new squad in the Gotei 13. She had been assigned to Squad 6 under the stoney gaze of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. It wasn't the fact that she would be his subordinate that made her nervous, she had actively chosen to become apart of Squad 6, but she was nervous that she wouldn't be able to repay him for the pond she had inadvertently destroyed.

She had arrived at the Squad 6 barracks and was making her way through the somewhat active hallways on her way to her new captain's office at the end of the hall. No one really paid her any mind, save for a few that recognized the choker around her throat. It was no secret that she possessed massive amounts of spiritual power, but it always made her feel a little uneasy when others would whisper as she passed by.

She reached her captain's double wide office door and stood in front of it with her fist raised, but she made no move to knock as she stared at the black silhouette of a camellia flower on the door.

In the last three years, her interactions with the nobleman had been limited, but she had trained extensively with all the captains due to her high spiritual pressure. They were the only ones capable of actually providing a training session once she had reached a certain proficiency and that was only because they could withstand the sheer amount of weight.

Releasing a sigh, she finally brought her knuckles down against the wood of the door to get the attentions of whomever was inside. She heard the wooden groan of a chair slide across the floor and a moment later, the door opened.

Staring down at her was a tall, muscular man with the brightest red hair she had ever seen that was tied up to keep most of it out of his face. She could clearly see the myriad of tattoos that painted his tanned skin; his cloth covered forehead, neck, and at the very least, the center of his chest had all been colored with tribal black markings. His grin was big, albeit sheepish, as if he was far too thrilled to have a newcomer to the squad.

"There you are! I'm Lieutenant Renji Abarai." He said, resting his hands on his hips as he continued to beam down at her.

Nyruki wasted no time in bowing, "Good morning, Lieutenant. I'm Nyruki Sawada. I apologize for being a bit late... I got lost." She admitted with a barely there blush spilling across her no longer gaunt cheeks.

"Enter, Ms. Sawada." Came a deep, but calm voice from behind the Lieutenant.

Renji stepped aside to allow Nyruki to enter into the office that was filled with only the essentials. A pair of full bookshelves lined the walls on either side and faced each other, with a pair of desks the filled the center and a couch along the interior wall was all that filled the room.

Sitting behind the larger of the two desks, in front of the large window, her captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, sat with pen in hand and a stack of papers at his side.

"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki! I apologize for my tardiness!" She repeated, bowing deep once more towards the floor.

"Take a seat." He said, using his silver eyes to motion to a chair that sat in front of his desk.

Nyruki moved without hesitation and sat with her papers in hand that she rested in her lap without saying a single word.

"Shut the door, Lieutenant." Byakuya ordered, his steely expression never once faltering as he looked up from his paperwork.

Renji did as ordered and shut the door before coming to stand at the side of the desk with thick arms crossed over broad chest.

The three regarded each other in silence, not a single one making a move to speak as if they expected the other to make the first move. It quickly became awkward for Nyruki until the barest of flights from her captain's eyes flicked to the papers in her hand.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Here are my transfer papers, Captain." Nyruki said as she handed the small packet over to a long and elegant hand that reached out for them.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting you the change squads. I thought you were happy under Captain Ukitake." Byakuya said as he read over her papers.

"Oh, I was... am... was," She stuttered and sucked in a breath, "I just needed to with the hopes of repaying my debt." Nyruki said, beginning to pick at her fingernails from nerves.

"Wait... What? What debt?" Renji asked, dropping his arms to his sides.

"She was the reason why my pond was destroyed four years ago." Byakuya said, shifting his eyes up to glance at his lieutenant.

"Oh... Oh, she's the one with that monstrous spiritual pressure!" Renji pointed at her while he gaped.

Byakuya simply nodded once.

"You picked Squad 6? With that kind of power, you could've joined Squad 11 and thrived." Renji said, recrossing his arms.

"I wanted to join Squad 6, Lieutenant." Nyruki said swiftly.

"Fair enough, I suppose." Renji said with a shrug.

Again, silence befell them as the Captain read through her paperwork with keen eyes and Nyruki took the time to study the man she had only ever met under official circumstances, this time included.

His posture was perfect, with shoulders straight, his back upright and his neck still, only pivoting his head about its top. His jet black hair was in perfect order and fluttered almost weightlessly against his perfectly kept skin that wrapped his attractive face. The way he carried himself was intimidating, prideful even, but at least it was all wrapped up in an attractive package.

Forcing herself to be comfortable in the silence, only broken by the soft rustle of the papers in her Captain's hands, Nyruki sighed and clasped her hands in her lap to keep herself from picking at her fingernails while she waited.

A few more minutes later, Byakuya set the papers down and picked up his pen from the desk, dipping it into the small black bottle before flipping to the back page and quickly signing it with the perfect sweeps of his writing.

"Everything is in order, Ms. Sawada. Do you need any assistance in settling in?" He asked as he handed Renji her papers to be properly filed.

"No, Captain. Everything I own I am currently wearing." She said, holding her head high.

"I see... Lieutenant?" Byakuya asked, never changing his posture.

"Yes, Captain?" Renji responded, standing up straighter with his wide shoulders back.

"Summon the squad to the training square." He ordered.

"Yes, Captain!" Renji bowed and left in the same amount of time it took Nyruki to take a normal breath.

The door closed, Nyruki found herself solely under the gaze of her new Captain and it raised a layer of nervous bumps along the back of her neck. His gaze was intense, it always had been and every time she was forced to look into that gaze during her training, she felt like she would blow away into ash.

"Your scores throughout your time at the academy were exceptional, Ms. Sawada." Byakuya began, resting his hands in his lap and neatly folding them.

Nyruki stared at the desk, waiting for him to continue.

"But why do you still hesitate to release your Zanpakutō? Your new orders still mention that you will actively look for reasons not to use it." He said.

That simple statement sent another nervous spike through her chest, as she was desperately hoping that he wouldn't have brought it up. She had foolishly hoped, but there was no forgetting the many training sessions she endured, both during the academy and after it, that she typically lost because of her reluctance to summon her Zanpakutō.

"Fear." She said simply, unable to bring herself to look at her Captain.

"It still persists?" Byakuya asked.

With a sigh, Nyruki finally brought herself to look into his eyes, "Yes, Captain. I don't believe this power should belong to me."

"I see." He said with lips a thread's width apart, "Follow me, Nyruki Sawada."

Nyruki held her breath for a moment in disbelief at the conversation's sudden and abrupt end, but under Captain Kuchiki's gaze, she stood and followed him from the office without a word of protest. His brows were softly drawn together as they walked, with members of the squad already heading to the training square of the Squad 6 barracks, passing them by in a rush to make sure they arrived before their Captain.

Outside, under the beams of the yellow sun and with the squad gathered around in a semi-circle, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki stood in the semi-circle's center with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Nyruki Sawada... Step forward." Byakuya called out, never moving, but with his eyes firmly set on her where she stood amongst the crowd.

With a gulp, she did as he commanded and took a step forward, revealing herself to the whole of Squad 6. She looked around at all the murmuring faces, and she knew without having to hear the words what they were most likely saying.

Closing his eyes, Byakuya went to one end of the arena and rested an elegant hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

"Draw your sword." He said, finally opening his eyes and looking at her from across their battle ground.

She suddenly knew what was going on, and the realization caused her eyes to instantly go wide and her breath to hitch in her throat. She was being made to battle her Captain, in front of the entire squad.

"Go on. This isn't the first time. I'm just glad I get a break." Renji laughed from behind her, poking a finger into her shoulder to prod her forward.

Nyruki gulped again as she began to make her way to the opposite side of the arena, her own hand resting on the hilt of her blade, but with a mild, barely noticeable tremble.

"I will not repeat myself, Nyruki Sawada." Byakuya said, his voice still as calm as ever, but somehow conveyed his impatience.

Releasing her breath, Nyruki widened her stance and drew her sword in the same instant, bringing it to bare in front of her as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. She knew her Captain's power, knew his abilities and all she needed to do was fend him off.

That was a tall order. A very tall, towering order.

In the blink of an eye, Byakuya flashed forward the length of the entire arena, reemerging directly in front of her with his sword clashed against hers. The metallic clang echoed throughout their arena, stinging in her ears for a moment, but that wasn't going to be enough to stop her.

She instantly reacted and slid her blade down the length of his, grinding its edge and flicked her wrist to launch her blade forward for a strike. However, Byakuya flashed out of sight in time to evade the sweeping arc of her blade as she swung it outwards to her side.

 _I know where you're going._ She thought as she turned her head just enough to see him reappear, this time behind her. She raised her Zanpakutō and swung it behind her, smacking his blade away from the close call that would have found contact with her back. She leapt away, backflipping a number of times before landing on her feet with both hands clasped tightly on her blade's red and gold fabric covered handle.

 _Fine. We'll play this game, Captain._ She thought again to herself, but this time, she didn't give him the time to act first.

Going on the offensive, she grit her teeth together and launched herself forward, her sword flipped around so that its blade pointed to the ground instead. She spun in mid-flight, whirling herself around with great speed in order to confuse the great Captain's sense of sight before she struck her blade against his for another metallic clang. She instantly moved again, spinning around and striking again, and again, and again with such ferocity that even his mouth tweaked into a sneer and his brows drew down.

Her flurry of blows soon only met air as he flash stepped away, reappearing behind her, but several steps away and out of her reach.

"Release your Zanpakutō, Nyruki Sawada." Byakuya said so only she could hear.

However, instead of answering, her expression did it for her as she scowled and gripped her sword tighter.

"Then I will force you."

As fast as lightning could flash, Byakuya was upon her once more, swinging his sword with such precision that it made it difficult for her to counter. His movements were perfect, not a single motion wasted as he struck and his strength was immense. From the outside, he appeared a thin man, but in reality he could level the strongest of Hollows without even breaking a sweat.

With another powerful strike, Nyruki blocked it with her sword, but the two became locked as their swords ground against each other from the strain and sheer amount of strength both poured into their blades.

"End this. Release your Zanpakutō." Byakuya said lowly, his brows pulled down over his eyes as he stared hard at her.

"Don't make me do this, Captain." Nyruki said in a voice that barely broke above a whisper.

With a hard grunt, Nyruki threw her arms forward, pushing her blade towards Byakuya and pushed him away from her, giving her a moment to catch her waining breath.

"Lieutenant Abarai!" Byakuya ordered, standing up straight with his blade still in hand.

The red-headed lieutenant grinned as he stepped from the crowd and drew his blade.

Now faced with two opponents, Nyruki was running out of options and she knew it. Her swordsmanship was good, yes, as she had been taught by Captain Ukitake himself. Her Kidō was good enough to hold its own against most, as she had learned that from Captain Kuchiki himself. But being faced with two opponents whom by all accounts could take on anything from Hueco Mundo and win, she realized her choices had dwindled to only one.

Pursing her lips together, she held the steel of her blade to her lips and spoke.

"Fall into desire; Kibōyūwaku."

With a bright flash of white, her blade vanished into a subtle mist that swirled and danced around her as if it was caught in the breeze. Her stomach churned at the thought, but it soon did not have time, nor the capacity to be nervous as the mist began to rush into her own lungs through her nose and mouth to succumb the whims of her own Zanpakutō.

Both Byakuya and Renji watched with lips slightly parted as the mist forced itself down Nyruki's throat. Her whole body went ridged, her arms tight at her sides with one hand still gripping the blade-less handle of her Zanpakutō. Her head was thrown back, mouth open as the mist continued to drift passed her lips, softly hissing like a barely there breeze until all of it, her entire Zanpakutō had vanished into her own body

"What's going on, Captain? Why is her own Zanpakutō attacking her?" Renji asked, tightening his hands on Zabimaru.

"I have no answer." Was all Byakuya said as he watched and waited.

After a few moments, her body released the tension that the mist had caused and her head lolled forward with her eyes covered by the drapes of the loose white locks of hair. However, her mouth with modest lips was quirked up into a smirk that only served to furrow her Captain's brow line all that much more.

"She warned you." Sang a voice from Nyruki's mouth, but it was slightly deeper; not the voice he had heard before.

"What? What's going on?" Renji asked, widening his stance and readying himself to release his Zanpakutō with a hand on its blade.

"She doesn't like it when I take the reins, which from where I'm standing, is a crying shame. The scenery is delicious." She laughed in a sultry vibrato as she raised her head, revealing her eyes that were no longer golden yellow, but bloody red.

Renji quietly gasped and made to attack, but stopped when his captain held his Zanpakutō out in front of him to clang against his sword.

"Do not take her lightly. Her Zanpakutō's ability is yet to be known to anyone and that is by her own doing." Byakuya warned, never removing his eyes from this new woman with the same face as Nyruki Sawada.

"What?" Renji yelped.

"What's wrong? Do you not wish to play anymore?" The woman cooed as she stepped forward with a sway in her hips that could not be ignored by anyone present.

"I've got this." Renji growled.

Renji swiftly got around Byakuya's sword and rushed towards Nyruki, whose personality had made a drastic shift. He had allowed it, simply to see what the woman would do. _That is not Nyruki Sawada. This is a different person._ Byakuya thought as he stood and watched what unfolded.

Renji raised his blade to attack, his throat rolling with a growl that could come from any savage animal, but as he brought his blade down to strike, the red-eyed Nyruki smirked with a look in her eyes that sent a shiver down his spine.

At the last moment, Nyruki flash stepped to the side in time to dodge his swing, burying his blade in the ground with a metal on stone howl that echoed around them. Her speed had become even faster and as he looked to his side to regain sight of her, she flash stepped right out of it.

This time, she struck as she thrust her foot forward into the back of his right knee, bringing him to a kneel. Before he could even think, a lithe hand had tightly gripped his throat and yanked him backwards into a painful arc that left him with the only option of looking up at her.

It had all happened faster than he could turn his head at the calling of his name.

"Like a fly in the spider's web. You, my delicious treat, are mine to do as I will." She said lowly, her tongue slicking out across her upper lip.

"W-What?" Renji choked, finding that her grip on his throat was far stronger than it appeared.

"Oh, you wait and see, my pet." She bit her bottom lip as she leaned over, bringing her face only an inch from his.

Renji began to struggle against her hold, but to no avail, as the extreme angle of his back made for limited movement. All he could do was grab her wrists and hope it would be enough.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't.

His eyes wide, the woman's lips crushed down onto his and her tongue had forced its way into his mouth to pry his lips apart. He could feel the edges of her breath dancing just outside his mouth as her tongue slicked over his own. The action sent a fiery wave down his torso, but something was wrong, very wrong and he was all too aware of it.

A moment passed before the woman removed her lips from Renji's and released his throat, but Byakuya saw the ultra fine mist that trailed from her lips to his Lieutenant's. She had done something to him, but what, he would have to wait and see.

The woman turned to face him, with tongue slicking over her lips as if she had just finished a delightful meal. He looked passed her to see Renji was still arced painful backwards without her help, but his arms had gone limp at his sides and his mouth was parted as if he was still embraced in the woman's kiss.

"What did you do?" Byakuya asked calmly as he kept a close eye on both the woman and his Lieutenant.

"You'll see, or would you rather I do the same to you? I'd be more than happy to claim you for myself." The woman said as a mischievous grin spread across her lips.

His question was soon answered as Renji rose to his feet and turned to face them. He seemed normal at first glance, but Byakuya's keen eyes saw the singular difference that proved that the woman had done something to him.

Renji's brown eyes, normally colorful and expressive, were entirely blank, lacking any sort of vibrance, or life within their dark depths. They simply stared down at the woman in front of him as if he were blind and couldn't see at all.

Smiling, the woman stepped back against the much taller man and leaned back against him as if he were a wall, "How do you like my pet, Captain? Isn't he exquisite?"

Drawing in a long breath, Byakuya sheathed his sword and closed his eyes, "That is enough." He said sharply.

"Well that's not very fair. I was just starting to have fun." The woman cooed as she raised her arms and hooked them around Renji's neck above her head.

"Release your hold." Byakuya ordered, opening his eyes to convey his seriousness to the woman.

"Tsk... Oh well. Perhaps next time then, you and I will get to play." She winked before she turned to face the man whom had wrapped his arms around her protectively.

She softly trailed her hand down his face until her fingers reached his mouth. She slowly pulled them away, drawing the mist out from his body that fluttered delicately like smoke from a stick of incense until all of it had been removed.

In an instant, the life in Renji's eyes returned and he stumbled backwards, tripping over his sword to land on his backside on the ground with a firm bounce.

"What... What the hell! What did you do to me?" Renji demanded angrily, his fists curled tight into the dirt beneath him.

The woman didn't answer however. She merely stood with her shoulders slumped and head hung as the mist swirled around her and collected at the handle of her Zanpakutō to return to blade form.

"Nyruki Sawada?" Byakuya finally spoke, standing firm and without fear.

She raised her head to look at him again, but this time her eyes were gold, laced with unshed tears.

"I told you not to make me do this." She whimpered.

Before anything else could be said, she thrust the blade of her Zanpakutō into the ground and ran off, darting through the shocked crowd that had yet to say a word about what they had seen. He was still trying to make sense of it himself. How her eyes changed in color and her demeanor clearly was that of someone else. _Her Zanpakutō? A possession type? No... She could spread it. Illusions? Hypnosis? Perhaps._ He thought before turning to face his squad.

"That's all for now. Return to your duties." Byakuya ordered.

As the squad dispersed, Renji climbed to his feet and dusted himself off before he picked up his sword, as well as removed Nyruki's and went to stand by his Captain.

"C-Captain I-" He was silenced.

"We'll discuss what happened in my office. Are you hurt?" Byakuya asked flatly.

"No, Captain. I'm fine." Renji said quietly as he handed Byakuya the sword.

With a nod, Byakuya simply spun on his heels and walked away, heading for the massive closed doors of the Squad 6 barracks. He knew and understood he had to make sense of what he had just seen, sense of what, exactly, her Zanpakutō's intent really was. From that brief encounter, he didn't get the sense that the spirit wanted to hurt anyone, but he couldn't be positive. All he knew was that he had to bring this up to the other captains.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was a chilly night, but not a wholly unpleasant one. The remnants of winter still hung in the night sky, but it was not long for this world as it succumbed to the embrace of Spring. The stars shone bright and the moon gleamed like a beacon that had been lit to guide the lost home. It was a beautiful night.

But that was lost on Nyruki as she stood outside of the captains meeting room, her back against the wall to smother her hands and accompanied by her day old Lieutenant.

"That wasn't you, was it?" Renji asked quietly, standing across from her and leaning back against the guard railing with his arms crossed.

"No. That was Kibōyūwaku." Nyruki sighed, unable to lift her head from staring at the wooden floor.

Renji simply scoffed, but not with the sort of angry tick that she had been expecting. It was more intended to fill the void of silence while they waited for the doors to open.

A moment ticked by before the door began to creak open, revealing a tall, rugged man in a straw hat and pink kimono that was draped over his broad shoulders.

"You can come in, Nyruki." Shunsui Kyōraku said, standing aside and holding the door open for her to enter.

Nyruki sighed as she pushed off the wall and entered the darkness, having the door close behind them to seal her within the lion's den. She found herself under the gaze of all the captains, including that of Head-Captain Yamamoto. Her stomach felt as if it was going to cartwheel out of her mouth from the sheer amount of nerves, but she highly doubted that pretending to be sick, or actually being sick, was going to get her out of this one.

Blowing out a shaky and nervous breath, Nyruki bowed deep and announced herself.

"Good evening, Head-Captain. I am Nyruki Sawada of Squad 6." She said, keeping low in her bow and staring at the floor. Anything was better than the gazes of the captains.

"Rise, Nyruki Sawada." Grumbled the Head-Captain.

Nyruki rose up straight and rolled her shoulders back to hide her nerves, but under the gaze of all of them, she was sure that no amount of sheer willpower could hide them.

"We have brought you here out of concerns that were raised by the captain of Squad 6; Captain Byakuya Kuchiki." Began the Head-Captain, his long, bound and white beard swaying with each word.

Briefly, her eyes shifted to her Captain, only to fall under his gaze as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"He has brought it to my attention of what happened earlier today during training when you released your Zanpakutō." The Head-Captain continued with more gravel in his voice than seemed normal.

"Yes, Sir." Nyruki simply said, opting to stare at the floor, instead of holding her head up.

"What, exactly, does it do?" The Head-Captain asked.

Nyruki gulped, "Head-Captain... I-I'd rather-"

"Explain, Nyruki Sawada." The Head-Captain interrupted, this time with more volume that jolted Nyruki's nerves even more.

She spoke.

"Kibōyūwaku is an illusion type Zanpakutō. When summoned, the blade turns into an ultra fine mist." She began, gulping as her whole body began to lightly shake.

"Continue."

"If I can get an opponent to inhale this mist, then their soul becomes caged within their own bodies, trapped by being shown their deepest desires. Their body, in turn, becomes my thrall." Nyruki finished with her fists clenched tightly at her side.

"How many can you turn?" He asked firmly.

"Between one to two." Nyruki answered quickly, her eyes shifting to her Captain's with a pleading in them that betrayed her thoughts.

That look spoke volumes to Byakuya, as he knew, was positive, that there was more to this than what she was saying. The look in her eyes was clear, she wanted it to end there with no more words, but he wouldn't let it. All had to be said.

"And how many when you are in Bankai?" Byakuya asked, earning shocked glares from all the other captains.

Nyruki pursed her lips together, but knew she had to answer. Her shaking, which had become visible if one looked hard enough, had turned traitor.

"Twelve."

"You've achieved Bankai? In four years?" Ukitake gasped.

"Yes, Captain." Nyruki said almost too softly for them to hear.

"How?" The Head-Captain asked.

"It was six months ago. I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep, but I kept hearing Kibōyūwaku's voice in my head. It was a whisper, like a distant siren's call between my ears." Nyruki said, closing her eyes and turning her face towards the floor as if she was ashamed.

"You entered your inner world." Byakuya said.

Nyruki nodded, "Not by my choice. Kibōyūwaku dragged me in and her spirit told me that my power deserved her, that it was worthy of her every whim. She told me that despite what appeared on the outside as malicious tendencies, she did not wish to be considered evil. She felt my heart was powerful enough to keep her from doing what her brother was forced to do." She finished.

"Her brother?" Asked Captain Sajin Komamura, a massive beast with a surprisingly kind face, that of a wolf with pale yellow eyes.

"Yes. Her brother is Kyōka Suigetsu." Nyruki said.

At that name, all the captains, save for Squad 6, spoke up and began to speak at once, too loud and too fast for any word to be plucked from the tree. It was disorienting, but the Head-Captain would not have any of it as he banged the end of his branchy cane against the floor, drawing the room back into order.

"How is this possible? There is no reason you should know that name." The Head-Captain said, his voice clearly building with irritation.

"I understand, Head-Captain, but I heard it from Kibōyūwaku." Nyruki quickly defended.

"That's Aizen's Zanpakutō. How is it she acquired its sibling?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi asked in a screechy voice that sparked revulsion to mix with Nyruki's already frazzled nerves.

"Her spiritual power is immense, even more so than Old Man Yama's. Only top level Shinigami can acquire mind altering type Zanpakutō." Said Kyōraku, his hands hidden in his sleeves.

"Show us." Demanded Head-Captain Yamamoto.

Those were the very words that scared Nyruki the most. She hated knowing she had the ability to control one's actions, hated that she could force someone to do her bidding, all while their true selves writhed in whatever Kibōyūwaku showed them from deep down within themselves. She didn't want to use it and especially with the method Kibōyūwaku preferred.

"Please, Head-Captain... Don't make me." Nyruki pled, hoping with all hope that it would be enough.

It wasn't, which was no surprise.

"Show us." He repeated.

Flexing her fingers, Nyruki knew she had no choice. She had to show them what her power had granted her. She didn't want to, as she hated giving her body to the spirit of her Zanpakutō, hated allowing the woman to do as she pleased, but there was no getting around it. Again, she had to succumb to the whims of Kibōyūwaku for the second time that day.

Having received her sword back from her Captain when he had gone to tell her she was being summoned, she gripped her sword's handle and drew it from its sheath. She brought the silken blade to her lips and allowed her eyes to see nothing as she spoke its release command. The white flash illuminated the room for an instant before winking out to be replaced by the swirling mist that danced around her.

The room was instantly filled with the sweet and subtle scent of whatever the captains desired most, either being a delicate aroma that was just strong enough to light the sinuses, or the tang of science that electrocuted every breath. The mist swirled around Nyruki before diving down her throat, sending her body taut and her eyes wide as their color began to shift in the darkness.

Just like before, only a moment passed before she slumped over on her feet, her head hung and hair trailing towards the floor, and just like before, the silence in the room slowly broke with a low, sultry laugh.

"My, my. Twice in one day? It must be love." The woman said lowly as she raised her head to show her crimson eyes to her audience.

As she looked about the room, her eyes taking moments to study each face, she began to walk with that same sway in her hips that highlighted them in every way possible.

"Oh my. Look at this selection. I must have died and gone to Heaven." She cooed, airily smiling as she spun around in a dance and softly laughed with delight.

"Her Zanpakutō spirit." Ukitake exhaled, but in the silence of the room, it had been enough to draw her attention.

"I do hope that's obvious you deliciously white haired portrait of perfection." She said, sauntering over to him and resting a soft hand on his chest.

At the intimate action, Ukitake stood up straighter and went to remove her hand, as she had the face of someone whom had become a daughter to him, someone he needed to teach. It made him gulp as he grasped her hand to remove it, but a banging of the Head-Captain's gnarled cane on the wood was enough to freeze him.

"Allow her as she wishes. We need to see her power." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto gruffly.

With another soft gulp, Ukitake lowered his hand, but stayed silent with her hand still resting on his chest.

"Free reign to do as I wish? My, my... What to do? What to do?" She said, only to beam as she stepped in front of the captain of Squad 6, dragging her hand across Ukitake's chest until he was out of reach, "Oh... The aura on this one is enough to send a delightful shiver down my spine." She purred.

Byakuya stayed as still as possible, silver locked with crimson as she continued.

"She admires you, you know. How you carry yourself... How you act," She leaned closer to him, both hands on his chest, "She's only ever wanted to repay you." She said with her tongue slicking over her lips.

What had happened earlier instantly came to the forefront of his mind, causing him to ever so slightly lean away from the woman.

"You are the embodiment of desire, but perhaps you are best saved for a more... special occasion." She said, softly biting her lip as she stepped away, again dragging her hands over his chest until he too was out of reach.

Turning to the other row, she set her eyes on the smallest captain and began to saunter over to the her; Captain Soi-Fon.

"What am I in the mood for this evening? Perhaps something petite and delicate?" She asked, trailing a finger across the small woman's cheek.

"Don't touch me." Soi-Fon snapped, slapping her hand away.

"Oh? You're a little spicy for me, my dear. Perhaps if I had something to cool your bite, I would consider it." The woman said, stepping away.

She soon came to stand in front of the captain of Squad 11, whose towering frame dwarfed her like an ant caught in the shadows. His fierce features simply glared down at her with brows perpetually angry.

"Your blood thirst has me all a flutter, but tonight is such a beautiful night, don't you think?" She asked, looking up at him with a wink and a twinkle in her eyes as she rapped a finger against his chest.

"Whatever." Kenpachi shrugged.

"Yes, I think tonight requires something softer... something... Not so nightmare inducing." She cringed as her crimson eyes set on Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

The woman walked away and headed for the opposite row once more, her hips still slowly swaying back and forth with each step. Her hands, now free of the handle that she had tucked into her obi sash around her waist, ran ultra softly over each captain as she passed, her fingers hooking on their haori's for a moment before letting them go. It wasn't until she stepped in front of Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, the Captain of Squad 8, that she stopped and walked her fingers up his partially exposed, well defined chest.

"I think rugged will do nicely this evening. Don't you think?" She asked, turning and leaning into his much taller form with her hands resting on his chest and fingers softly clawed into his bulk.

A noticeable red tint gleamed across his cheeks, "Rugged?"

"Oh yes," she laughed, the low sound exotic and soothing to the ears, "You are delightfully rugged. Just enough to bring out the primal instincts in a woman, or man, should you desire."

His blush deepened, "Is that so? Nanao-chan never said anything." He faked his hurt.

"Then she is blind to what is within her grasp. Blind to this blissfully large man I see before me." She said softly, her body pressed to his as she rose onto her toes to bring herself closer to him.

With a gulp, Kyōraku found he had begun to dip his head and his hands had risen to rest against those very hips that had swayed so tantalizingly. He found himself unable to resist her whatsoever, despite every fiber of his being screaming for him to stop. He couldn't, and as such, he played along.

Closing his eyes, he lowered his head the last distance to bring his lips to hers.

The moment their softness covered his lips, his whole body warmed and flushed with a heat that felt as if he had laid down in the sun, and it only got hotter when her tongue forced its way into his mouth. The heat was intense, but pleasant, and he found himself kissing back, an act that had happened all of its own accord before he could realize it.

As she pulled away from him, his eyes opened to catch the last of the mist trailing from her lips to his and his whole being began to swirl with his world shrinking around him. The edges of his vision blurred, blackened into eternal night until the only visible figures were the blurry outlines of his fellow captains. He couldn't move, frozen where he stood and as much as he tried to press his fingers into his eyes to try and clear his vision, he couldn't move. He was screaming at himself to move, but no sound came forth and the only thing he could do was watch as his whole world went black.

Intaking a long lungful of air that filled her chest completely, the woman softly licked the remnants of the kiss from her lips before she turned to look at the Head-Captain.

"It'll be just a moment." She said lowly as she reached out and clutched a fistful of the pink kimono.

Without hesitation, Kyōraku stepped forward, his head hung and eyes behind the cover of his straw hat. His shoulders stayed broad like normal as he came to stand right behind her, close behind her, and kept his head down with eyes out of sight.

"Be proud, my pet. Raise your head for all to see." She purred as she released the kimono from her grasp, but kept her hand on the exposed skin of his chest.

As commanded, he raised his head and the same that had happened to Renji, had happened to him. His face was completely void of any expression and his brown eyes were lifeless and dull. They looked through anything that was in their way, only having the ability to focus on the crimson eyed woman standing in front of him.

"Shunsui!" Ukitake gasped, taking a step forward towards them.

However, his path was stopped when that very man stepped forward to block his path, his eyes still void of life and not looking at him, but rather through him.

"What has become of him?" Asked Head-Captain Yamamoto, having never moved from his spot.

"He's mine. My thrall. He will do whatever I ask of him. Fight, protect... Warm my bed." She grinned and playfully bit her fingernail as a hand floated down his arm.

"How could you do this? How could you take a young woman with such promise and turn her into... this? You hid from me!" Ukitake asked, his normally kind face angered as he stared, disbelieving at the body of the pseudo-daughter he had come to care about.

"She didn't have to accept me. She could have rejected me, sent me away into the deepest parts of her soul, but she didn't. She welcomed me, but vowed never to tell you out of fear of disappointing you." The woman said as she rested a soft hand on the protective arm of Kyōraku to lower it from in front of her.

"You demon... You have no place here!" Soi-Fon snapped angrily, earning a sidelong glare from the woman.

"And that very well may be, but I won't go anywhere until Nyruki commands it." She said, stepping around her thrall and wrapping herself in his arm as she came to stand in front of him once more.

"How can she if you are in control?" Ukitake asked, never taking his eyes off her.

"That in where lies our problem." She said simply.

"What problem?" Byakuya finally asked.

"Nyruki is so frightened of me, that she refuses to remain in control if she releases me. She has no desire to attribute her actions to herself and would much rather blame me." She said with an over exaggerated pout.

"Is it fear that has crippled her, or is it you?" Asked Sajin Komamura with narrowed yellow eyes.

"It is fear. I would be more than happy to submit to her, but she simply lacks the will. My power... Our power, is infallible. No one can break free of my hold." She said as she grasped her thrall's hand.

She raised his hand to her lips and kissed his palm, trailing the tip of her tongue over his skin until her mouth reached the meat of his hand between his thumb and forefinger. She softly suckled the flesh, humming low in her throat from delight at the taste until she brought her teeth down hard in a strong bite.

"Stop!" Ukitake gasped, watching the face of his best friend whose only reaction to the pain was a mild grimace.

"See? Not even pain can draw him free of my hold." She said, releasing his hand to reveal the bleeding mark embedded in his flesh.

With a huffed grunt, the Head-Captain simply banged the end of his cane on the wood once, earning her undivided attention as well as everyone else's.

"That is enough. Release him at once." He ordered with his eyes barely visible beneath his aged eyebrows.

"As you wish."

The woman simply bowed with a shallow bow before she raised her hand and trailed it down the man's face to draw the enthralling mist from his body. The moment the last of the mist was gone, the life returned to his eyes to softly sparkle in the firelight just as they had always done.

Free of her hold, Kyōraku dropped to his knees, gasping for breath and clutching his bitten hand to his chest.

"Shunsui! Are you alright?" Ukitake asked worriedly as he rushed to his friend's side to help him up.

With a few shallow coughs, he soon stood on his own, but kept a hand on Ukitake's shoulder for support just in case.

"I'm fine." He said, catching his breath.

"What happened? Tell us everything." Head-Captain Yamamoto ordered.

"I was... In some sort of illusion." He said, finally standing up straight.

"What sort of illusion?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi asked, crossing his arms.

"My deepest desires. I was trapped in my perfect dream surrounded by everything I have ever wanted. There was no escaping it and I didn't want to." Kyōraku said, his usually carefree demeanor vacant for the time being as he examined the bite in his hand.

"I told you. My hold is infallible." The woman said, standing a few steps back with her own arms crossed.

"Why have you not released, Nyruki?" Ukitake asked, his brows still furrowed with uncertainty.

"Because I want to make sure you won't punish her. This certainly isn't her fault. I have no desire to become my brother. He was misguided and always was." She said with a huff.

"Why do you have such a desire to convince us you are not allied with Aizen?" Byakuya asked.

"Consider it a personal quest to atone for all mind altering type Zanpakutō. We aren't all bad, only wielded by bad people." She said, shifting her mouth to the side.

"Release her. Release, Nyraki!" Ukitake demanded.

"Tsk... Alright. She'll just have to explain the rest."

The woman plucked the handle of her sword from her sash and held it over her lips where the mist swirled and crept from between them. The mist plunged into the tang of the handle and reformed the steely blade, rising high into the air over Nyruki's head with a glint along its edge.

However, when the blade flashed whole once more, it clattered to the wooden floor as Nyruki dropped in a heap next to it.

With another gasp, Ukitake rushed to her side and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently rolling her onto her back to see closed eyes and a disturbed grimace tainting her pretty features.

"Nyruki?... Nyruki!" Ukitake urged with gentle shakes.

After a moment, her eyes fluttered open, revealing the familiar golden yellow that breathed a sigh of relief into the white haired man's being.

"I'm fine, Captain." She breathed as she accepted his help to stand up.

"Fascinating. Her Zanpakutō's ability is just as taxing on her as it is on her victims." Mayuri said with a gleeful cackle and toothy grin.

"Why do you let her take control, Nyruki?" Ukitake asked, fully ignoring the mad scientist.

"I don't want this power. I don't want to be responsible for controlling people like that. I'm aware of everything she does and I hate how she forces herself on people, male or female." Nyruki said as a glassy sheen sparkled over her eyes from the emotions she was trying desperately to contain.

"Why does she do it that way?" Kenpachi asked with a gruff.

"The direct contact. It guarantees the thrall comes under her complete control in the least amount of time." Byakuya answered for her, having determined that to be the case. It was the only one that made sense.

"How will that help against the Hollow?" Soi-Fon asked.

"Simply breathing in the mist from the cloud will work. However, it's as Captain Kuchiki says. Direct contact guarantees the affect in the shortest amount of time." Nyruki said, swiping her hand underneath her eye to stop a tear from streaking down her cheek.

"So that puts you in an awkward position." said Ukitake, his hands still resting on her shoulders out of worry she might fall if they weren't there.

"Yes, it does." Nyruki answered as she simply breathed to keep herself calm.

"How is it you know this if you are so fearful of releasing your Zanpakutō?" Kyōraku asked as he wrapped a bandage around his hand that had been given to him by Captain Unohana.

"I've released her before quite a number of times, but I've never used her against anything that didn't end up dead." Nyruki said, unable to look the man in the eyes out of embarrassment and shame.

"You've only ever used it against Hollow." Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya said from his spot next to the massively large Komamura that made him appear smaller than he already was.

Nyruki nodded, "Yeah. She's been able to throw handfuls of the mist into a Hollow's mouth, which works well, but not quite as well as the direct contact. I'm thankful Kibōyūwaku isn't in the habit of kissing Hollows."

"How is it that no one has questioned your Zanpakutō's ability until now?" Byakuya asked, never taking his eyes off of her.

"Because I didn't tell them the truth about it and I hid it... Even from Captain Ukitake." Nyruki admitted, unable to look at the white haired man beside her out of shame.

"Than how can we trust you now if you are so willing to lie to protect yourself?" Soi-Fon asked with a step forward and a hand on the hilt of her blade strapped to her back.

At that, Nyruki opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out, not even a peep. She didn't know how to answer, or rather, didn't know the answer period. The Captain was right. There was no way to prove that she wasn't willing to deceive, that everything she was saying was the truth. By all accounts, she was about to lose her Zanpakutō and that meant that everything she had worked so hard towards was about to be ripped out from underneath her.

Releasing a shaky breath, Nyruki picked up her blade and sheathed it, pulling it from her obi and held it out for the Head-Captain.

"I will relinquish my Zanpakutō if it means I can stay a Shinigami." She said with a deep bow.

Instead of speaking, the Head-Captain huffed a low grunt and just kept his eyes on her, on them all. The silence was uncomfortable. It was as heavy as the full weight of her spiritual pressure and it made it feel as if the whole world was crushing down on her. She just wanted it to end and put her out of her misery.

However, what came next was the last thing she was expecting.

"One month. You have one month to train the captains on how to break free of your Zanpakutō's hold and within that month, you must learn how to remain in control upon its release. Your Zanpakutō is yours to control and I cannot allow it to control its wielder. If by then you do not complete these objectives, your Zanpakutō will be taken and destroyed and you will no longer be apart of the Gotei 13." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto as he opened his eyes just wide enough to show that he did, indeed, have eyes.

Nyruki's head shot up to look at the Head-Captain, their color softly shaking as her grip on her sword's sheath tightened.

"But, Sir! I've worked so hard for this! I will gladly give up my sword if it means staying! I don't care what I do, but please don't banish me from the Gotei!" Nyruki begged, her arms lowering and still with her Zanpakutō clutched in her hands.

"This is not open for discussion! Those are your terms. It is up to you if you complete them, or not." The Head-Captain said.

Her eyes still wide, all she could manage was a gulp as she reserved herself to stare at the floor. She was in utter disbelief, as she had expected to lose it all right then and there, not be told she had a month to train every captain of the Gotei 13 how to break free of her Zanpakutō's control. That alone seemed like an impossible feet, as she was certain it couldn't be without her Zanpakutō's help.

That was it. That was what he meant. His true intention. By training the captains, in turn, she would train herself and it would all be because Kibōyūwaku was willing to help. That would be her proof.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! My internet went down. ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

The following morning had been one that dragged on for Nyruki, as she hadn't slept a wink since being dismissed from the captains meeting. Her mind never once calmed as it churned with how the hell she was going to pull this off. Kibōyūwaku had offered a few ideas, and they seemed like they could work, but she truly had no idea how to find a solution to even the simplest of problems.

Where to actually train.

With a sigh, Nyruki sat up in her bed in the Squad 6 barracks and ran a hand back over her hair that had fallen down in front of her face. The rest of the squad was already going about their business for the day, but she had been given permission by her Captain to come up with a training regiment instead of mill about with tedious duties. To be honest, she would rather be cleaning the baths.

Another sigh sprung free from her throat as she stood and stretched the tired ache from her bones. She figured she would start with speaking with her Captain out of the hope that by talking about the situation with him, it would help get her thoughts in order. She slipped her Zanpakutō into her obi sash and stepped out of her small room, only receiving a glance here and there from other squad members as she made her way to the office at the end of the hall. A small part of her wished that the office would be empty, but she knew that she needed to come up with something and fast. That is what drove her to knock and ready herself for whomever answered.

However, to her mortified shock, it was not her Captain, but the lieutenant of Squad 6 whom answered.

"Oh... Morning." Renji said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Morning, Lieutenant." Nyruki said, averting her eyes to avoid looking into his.

"Captain's not in, but he should be here any minute." Renji said as he stepped aside, allowing her to enter the office.

Nyruki hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, her fingers picking at each other as she continued to refuse to look at the tall, red-headed male.

"Look, Nyruki... About yesterday-" Renji started, only to be cut off.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I didn't want to, but Kibōyūwaku just... That's how she is. I hope that it doesn't create contention between us since we still have to work together." Nyruki said, finally willing herself to look at him.

Renji sighed as he shut the door, "I was gonna say the same. It just caught me off guard is all." he said.

"That seems to be the running reaction." She sighed.

The door opened again, bringing their conversation to an abrupt end as Captain Byakuya Kuchiki entered with a small folder in his hands and his perpetual stare in place.

"Good morning, Captain!" Both Renji and Nyruki said as they bowed low at his arrival.

"Good morning." Byakuya said calmly as he just stepped passed them and went for his desk.

"Captain, I was hoping to have a few moments of your time." Nyruki said, rising from her bow.

"I suppose we have some things to discuss regarding the meeting yesterday eve." He said as he sat down.

Nyruki softly cleared her throat as she approached the opposite side of the desk, but remained standing as she clasped her fidgeting hands behind her back so he couldn't see her nervous twitch.

"I might have an idea on where to start, but we're faced with that I don't really have a place to do it." Nyruki started, sighing once more out of building nerves.

"Do what?" Renji asked.

"An adequate place to train." Byakuya said, not looking up from the papers in the small folder he had brought.

"Oh? Train in what?" Renji asked.

Byakuya's silver eyes shifted up from the papers to meet his Lieutenant's, but he said nothing.

"Oh! You know what? I just remembered I have something to do! Pardon my departure, Captain!" Renji said, flustered, as he immediately left the room and closed the door behind him.

"It never ceases to amaze how you can convey such words in a simple glare." Nyruki mumbled, not knowing that she had said it aloud.

"A trait I have perfected over many years." Byakuya said.

Nyruki jumped as the realization hit her that she had spoken allowed, "Oh! Uh... Sorry, Captain." She rubbed the back of her neck.

"You can sit, Nyruki." Byakuya said, returning his eyes to the papers.

Nyruki softly swallowed as she did just that, still hiding her nervous fidgeting from his line of sight behind her back.

"Captain, I was hoping you had an idea on where we could train that won't leave any of us exposed, or in any danger." Nyruki said, her nerves subsiding as her iron willed determination began to take over.

"Do we need protection while under your Zanpakutō's control?" Byakuya asked.

"Shelter wouldn't be a bad idea, Captain. A considerable amount of time can pass when under her influence and we wouldn't know it." Nyruki said.

"I see." He sighed, "Will the training room at my estate be sufficient enough?" He added after a moment.

Nyruki silently gasped, "Oh... Um, well yes. That will do perfectly actually. That also provides for someone to watch over us while we're under her control."

"I agree." Byakuya said simply.

"Thank you, Captain." Nyruki said.

"We will begin tonight. I will make the necessary arrangements and inform all the captains to arrive at my estate after their evening meals." Byakuya said without a hitch, let alone a look up from his papers.

"Really? Oh... Well I guess that solves that problem." Nyruki sighed and tried to hide her relief, but she failed.

Byakuya flipped through a page of his papers for a moment before continuing.

"If that is all, Nyruki, you are dismissed. Go about your normal duties until this evening." He said with indifference.

Nyruki nodded as she rose from the chair and bowed, holding it for a moment before she turned and left, softly closing the door to find Renji on the other side, leaning against the wall with a foot on it and his arms crossed.

"Oh! Hi, Lieutenant." She said as she released a breath and proceeded to walk passed him.

It was a bit of a shock as he pushed off the wall and began to walk with her down the hall, but instead of being nervous, she felt relief that the incident during the training session would be put behind her and forgotten. All she wanted to do was move on and settle into her new life at Squad 6. However long that would last.

"Is there something you needed, Lieutenant?" She asked kindly, not wanting to just walk in silence.

"Not really. I was just hoping to talk about your swordsmanship from yesterday. It was pretty good since you were keeping up with the Captain's strikes." Renji said, resting his hands on the back of his head.

"I sure hope so. Captain Ukitake is the one who taught me." Nyruki said, pleased with the tone of the conversation.

"Did the captains teach you because of your spiritual pressure?" He asked as they turned a corner and headed for the door that lead outside.

"Yes. Even with the collar, it's enough to choke the life out of normal Shinigami if I ever lost control." She said, resting her palm on the hilt of her Zanpakutō as they walked.

"Really? Wow." Renji exhaled.

"Tell me about it. It's a bit disconcerting knowing you have that much power at your disposal." She said as she pushed open the door out into the unseasonably warm weather.

"You surpass the Captain don't you?" He asked, raising his face to the sun to enjoy the welcoming heat.

"Collared, or not collared?" She asked.

Renji shrugged, "Either, or."

"Collared, I'm a contender. Not collared, I can bring him to his knees." She said, actually with a lopsided smirk.

"Have you ever fought him without the collar?" He asked, pointing to the black band securely clasped around her throat.

"No. The only time he's ever been faced with my full power was four years ago." Nyruki said as they walked out of the large double gate of the Squad 6 barracks.

"I know this is probably a lot to ask, especially after what happened yesterday, but do you think you could help me build up a tolerance to spiritual pressure?" Renji asked.

Hearing that, Nyruki held her breath as she glanced up at him, finding he was already looking back out of the corner of his eye. She stopped walking, as she was certainly not expecting him to ask her that. Not after yesterday, but she'd be lying to herself if she said that it wasn't a relief.

"Oh... Um. Yeah, I suppose. Even though I'm fresh to the squad?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hey, talent is talent, no matter how new it is." Renji said with a crooked grin.

"I suppose that's true. Yeah, I'll help you, but I can't be certain when I'll get the chance. I'm pretty booked up for the next month." Nyruki said as her shoulders slumped with a sigh.

"That's fine. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Renji grinned.

"Alright. But hey, I hate to cut this short, but I should get going. I've got a training schedule to plan and a bunch of begging to the luck gods to do so talk later?" She asked, returning the smile.

"Sure. I'll see you around." Renji said holding his hand out for a shake.

Nyruki only hesitated for a moment before she shook his hand and headed off by herself, hoping the walk would help clear her head. The small conversation with Renji helped and she was glad he wasn't holding the events of yesterday against her. It was a huge relief and was one less thing for her to stress over, which left her open to stress about only one thing.

Training the captains.

For some reason, the rest of the day passed by with lightning speed, much to Nyruki's dismay. She didn't feel as if she had had enough time to come up with any concrete plan, but she didn't have much of a choice in whether, or not, she got anymore time to think. It was time to meet at the Kuchiki estate and she was hoping she wouldn't be the last to arrive.

Reaching the wooden gate, carved with the crest of the Kuchiki clan, she stood in awe at the sight of it. Everything about the estate was perfect, from the condition of the wood, to the perfection of the bamboo. The walls were kept perfectly white and always clean and even from the outside, it was a grand sight to behold.

Before she even had a chance to knock, the gate opened by the aged hand of an older man, dressed in gray robes that shone blue in the night.

"Good evening. You must be Nyruki Sawada. Lord Byakuya is awaiting your arrival." He said as he opened the gate a bit wider to allow her entrance onto the grounds.

"Yes. I hope I'm not late." Nyruki said with a slight bow out of respect.

"Not at all. Not everyone is here yet. Only Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku have arrived." The older man said as he began to escort her through the estate.

"Oh good." She said quietly.

As they walked, she couldn't help but admire the sight of the estate now that she was on the inside. It was so beautiful that any nervousness that she had been feeling on her walk to the manor was gone, having been replaced with calm and serenity. The soft licking of the pond water was just enough to break up the quiet of the breezeless night, with only the occasional splash from jovial fish whom called the pond home. _I bet this is what it looked like before I destroyed it._ She thought with a pleased smile across her lips.

They reached a closed off room whose roof rose higher than the surrounding estate, but not so much so as to stick out like it was some sort of guard tower. The older man gently placed his hands on the sliding doors and easily opened them with a wooden grind, revealing it to be an extensive training room, equipped with whatever one would need to train and train properly.

"Miss Nyruki Sawada has arrived, My Lord." Announced the old man as he stepped aside to allow her entry into the room.

Nyruki instantly bowed, "Good evening, captains."

"Good evening, Nyruki. I hope your day has been well." Said Ukitake with a smile and a cup of tea in his hand.

"Of course, Captain. Who could argue with that wonderful sunshine we had today." Nyruki returned the smile as she entered the room and the doors slid closed behind her.

"It was wonderful wasn't it? I was glad for the warmer weather." Ukitake said, taking a sip.

"Your lungs say the same, Jūshirō." Captain Kyōraku said, sitting next to the white haired man at a modest table that had been set up inside the room.

At the site of the Captain of Squad 8, Nyruki felt the sudden rush of heat radiating over her cheeks and she rubbed them as if it was possible to wipe the crimson away.

However, her blush was still seen.

"Think nothing of it, Nyruki. I understand that those actions weren't exactly you and it was merely for demonstration purposes." Captain Kyōraku said with a reassuring smile.

"That doesn't change the fact that, at first glance, we've kissed." Nyruki said, the very word adding fuel to her embarrassment.

"Don't hear me complaining." The man mumbled, only to earn himself a smack in the arm from his best friend.

"Shunsui!"

"What? It's true!" Kyōraku laughed.

Nyruki huffed a short laugh as her eyes shifted to the third man sitting at the table with a tea cup in hand.

"Good evening, Captain." She said with another bow.

"Good evening." Byakuya said simply.

A short lived roll flipped in her stomach as she came to stand at the table, but made no move to sit in the remaining empty chair.

"You can sit, Nyruki." Byakuya said before taking a sip of tea.

"Uh... Thank you, Captain." She said quietly.

"Here. Have some tea. It'll help calm your nerves." Ukitake said in a pleased tone as he poured her a cup and set it down in front of her.

"Is it that noticeable?" She already knew the answer.

"Blatantly obvious. Are we really that scary?" Kyōraku asked with a sip.

"Not you two, per say, but he is." Nyruki said, looking directly at her Captain.

Byakuya simply looked up from his cup, his perfect posture never changing as he looked back with barely shadowed eyes from the soft white light of the moon coming in through the thinly veiled windows.

"There is no need to fear me. You've done nothing to warrant my wrath." Byakuya said evenly.

"Not yet, but I can't say Kibōyūwaku won't do anything to invoke it." Nyruki said as she tried the tea, thrilled that it was so delightful and comforting.

"Remember that this training is supposed to benefit you as well." Byakuya said, lowering his eyes back to his tea.

"I know, but with this being our first session, she'll most likely be in control." Nyruki sighed.

"Learn to take control sooner, rather than later." Byakuya said.

Her nerves returned with a vengeance at the remark, but there was no time for her to reflect on his demeanor, as Ukitake and Kyōraku both grabbed chunks of the nobleman's cheeks.

"Oh, stop it, Pup! You're making the woman's state worse." Kyōraku said before letting go.

For the briefest of moments, Nyruki caught a glimpse of the stoic man's eyes twitching with irritation.

"Scatt-" Byakuya started, but was silenced when Ukitake stuffed a cracker into his mouth.

"Scatter that. In the privacy of your own manor, Byakuya, you're still just a babe compared to us." Ukitake laughed before returning to his tea.

Nyruki cupped a hand over her mouth to hide the evidence that she was barely able to hold back her laughter.

"I hate you both. In front of my subordinate." Byakuya sighed after chewing and swallowing the forced snack.

"Hardly. We would've done the same in front of your Lieutenant too." Kyōraku said with a grin.

"I am unable to comprehend the very thing I just saw." Nyruki said, ridged with shock at what the two captains had so brazenly done.

"Believe it, or not, this one is scores younger. He's one of the youngest captains amongst us save for baby Hitsugaya." Kyōraku said with a lopsided smirk.

"Really?" Nyruki breathed.

With a sigh, Byakuya set down is tea cup and glared in front of him, looking directly through Nyruki sitting across from him.

"Yes." He said blankly.

"I had no idea." She said, opting to let it end there instead of prodding the man further which could serve to be a fatal decision if the look on his face was any indication.

"Not many people do." Kyōraku said, beaming.

To Byakuya's silent relief, his attendant returned with the arrival of several more captains. Sajin Komamura, Retsu Unohana, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Kenpachi Zaraki all entered and set their Zanpakutōs to lean against the wall, next to the doors with the three others that were already there.

Soi-Fon suddenly appeared just before the attendant closed the door and slipped through, bringing the group to near completion, with the only exception being that of Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Now where is that closet lunatic?" Kyōraku asked, finishing his tea that he had laced with sake.

"He's not really a closet lunatic, Shunsui." Ukitake said.

"Is it rude to be sort of happy he isn't here?" Nyruki asked, silently chiding herself that she wasn't about to earn a storm's worth of punishment for the remark.

"For this particular instance, no. It is not." Byakuya said as he rose from his seat.

 _Not gonna lie. Wasn't expecting that._ Nyruki thought with a sigh, standing to face the horde of captains.

"Do we really have to go through this? We've never had to receive training with any other Zanpakutō before." Said Soi-Fon as she crossed her arms, standing a few feet away from the main group.

"If the Head-Captain wishes it, then we have no place to protest." Byakuya said as he knelt down to sit on the bamboo mats of the training floor.

The other captains followed his lead as they all sat in a circle with several feet between each of them. Nyruki continued to stand however as she organized her thoughts and stepped into the center of circle that would be her stage.

"So what is this going to entail?" Soi-Fon asked, sitting on her heels with her hands resting on her thighs.

"Well, I figured it would be best to train as a group like this, as our time is extremely limited." Nyruki said, taking in a deep breath to ready herself mentally.

"I meant, how is this going to work." Soi-Fon said with zero expression on her face.

"Oh... Well, I'm going to release my Zanpakutō, I'll enter Bankai and she'll enthrall each of you. Then you do your best to break free of her hold." Nyruki said with a nervous bite to her bottom lip.

"We should begin by hearing how best to do that." Ukitake said, seated in the same manner as Soi-Fon.

"Well, Kibōyūwaku's power is held in your own desires. She has the ability to access them and trap you inside while your body comes under my control. That's how it's supposed to work, but she's in full control of my own body... As you saw." Nyruki said, looking to each captain so that all could hear her as she spoke.

"So you have to be in control in order to utilize the ability affectively." Kyōraku said, having removed his hat to set it on the floor behind him.

"Yes." Nyruki said bluntly.

"Then this already won't work because you aren't in control." Soi-Fon said with a soft furrowing of her brows.

"Her and her Zanpakutō have to find their synergy, which they have yet to achieve despite Bankai, which she obtained only by the grace of her Zanpakutō's spirit." Byakuya said, his glare at the other Captain enough to chide her back into place.

"I suppose." Is all Soi-Fon said.

Nyruki continued.

"The way to see through her illusions, is to remember reality. Focus on something here, now, that draws you to it. It could be anything; A person, a thing, a place, a moment. It doesn't matter so long as it's something you can seat your consciousness in." She said, taking a moment to look at each Captain.

"What will that accomplish?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked, being taller, still, than nearly everyone around him despite sitting down.

"If you focus on that, you'll begin to break through her power, but she won't make it easy for you. If she realizes that you're breaking free of her hold, she'll adjust the trap to compensate for it. If that happens, you have to adjust accordingly. Reality is the only thing that can break through." Nyruki said, her hand curling around the handle of her Zanpakutō.

"Sounds difficult." Kyōraku said, tapping his strong chin.

"It is. However, there is a danger to this." Nyruki said.

"Explain." Byakuya said firmly, his brows lightly drawn down.

"If you become locked in her illusions, you run the chance of becoming 'lost to desire' as I call it. It's when you can no longer distinguish between illusion and reality and as such, you become permanently trapped. The only way to be freed from it, is to be released by Kibōyūwaku herself, or death." Nyruki explained.

"That sucks." Kenpachi shrugged.

"Depends on the illusion. If it's something you truly desire from the bottom of your soul, you slip away peacefully." Nyruki said, braving to lock eyes with the massive man.

"That is... unnerving." Sajin Komamura said, who truly was a massive creature, even when he was sitting.

"Very much so." Nyruki said with a nod.

She drew in a long breath as she regarded each Captain and it was to her surprise that each one had a small sign of nerves with the exception of Byakuya Kuchiki. His expression, as always, was cold, unmoving as he simply watched the floor just at her feet.

"I suppose we best get on with this." Nyruki said, softly sighing.

"I agree. Let us begin." Byakuya nodded.

With another sigh that was a bit more shaky than she would have liked, Nyruki slowly pulled her Zanpakutō from its sheath and brought the moonlit blade to her lips.

"Fall into desire; Kibōyūwaku."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: So, I'm updating early because I may be out of a laptop at any time because I'm currently trying to sell mine. I may end up missing an update, or two. So if I end up missing an update, that's why. Hopefully it won't take long for my new laptop to arrive so keep your fingers crossed! So long as I have my laptop, I will continue to post on schedule. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

The swirling mist smelled of freshly bloomed cherry blossoms to his senses. Every time he took a breath, the gentle aroma filled his head more completely than the trees in his garden. Each breath, each lungful made him feel as if time was slowed. His energy wained to the point where he felt as if he couldn't resist, in fact, he knew that he couldn't, which meant that all he could do was watch and listen to the crimson eyed woman as she made her way around the circle.

After she had called upon her Bankai, she had begun her circle with Soi-Fon, whom at first, managed to resist the woman's advances, but ultimately had succumbed when the woman had forcefully gripped her cheeks and heaved a heavy breath of mist directly into her mouth. The crimson eyed woman then moved to the youngest of them, being that of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She had cooed at his young face, his youth, claiming how she felt a bit wrong by advancing on him, but with the last vestiges of his being, the young Captain had told her to proceed. She did with the tenderest of kisses that bled the mist into his mouth and withdrew the light from his near glowing turquoise eyes.

She had made her way around the circle, kissing each of them with the same passion and desire she had done so on Kyōraku during the captains meeting. Kenpachi didn't resist whatsoever and, to the shock of those whom hadn't been taken yet, Retsu Unohana had even seemed to kiss back in the last moment before she was pulled into the illusionary cage. The crimson eyed woman had even nose nuzzled Sajin Komamura before exhaling a small cloud of mist into his face that promptly vanished through his snout.

Now, there were only three of them left, and the crimson eyed woman had come to Shunsui Kyōraku with a sultry smile on her face that clearly said she was pleased to be given the chance to kiss the man again.

"I don't think I'll ever be tired of your lips." She whispered, her face close enough to his that her breath drifted across his stubble covered skin.

His eyes blurry, the man stretched his neck up, bringing his lips to hers once again. Their kiss lasted for several moments, one that was mutual, but just like the others, his eyes too, lost their light and faded into dull splotches of color across a white field.

Byakuya looked to his right with eyes just as blurry as the woman came to stand in front of Jūshirō Ukitake, where she knelt down in front of him and softly floated her hands over his hair and down his neck.

"This will not be unpleasant." She said softly as her fingertips drifted beneath his top to graze over his pale skin.

"It's not... the comfort... I worry about." Ukitake said, his throat filling with the slightest of gulps as his eyes struggled to focus through the blur that the sweet smell had caused.

With a playful smile, she softly ran a finger down his lips, "Do not worry."

With a soft and airy sigh, she closed the distance between them, her lips delicately covering his as her hands came to rest on either side of his neck. Ukitake's hands had even risen to come to rest in the same position against her own as they kissed, which he had clearly begun to participate in.

As she pulled away, the trailing edges of the mist left her body and filled the man's lungs, never once causing him to cough as his eyes became void of consciousness. He too had become a drone under her sole command.

"Oh, how I've been waiting for this." The woman breathed, having turned her attention to Byakuya as she crawled to him like a cat stalking its prey.

"Why?" Byakuya managed to ask, his head becoming almost too heavy to keep up.

"You have skin made of velvet that is soft and perfect, and your hair is made of the finest silk. Your eyes glisten as if they are made from the moon themselves and your entire body is satan wrapped steel. I just want to run my fingers over your entire form until I cease to exist." The woman purred, licking her upper lip to clean it of her previous kiss.

"Let her... have control." Byakuya said, his voice alien to his own ears.

The woman crawled forward until her lips were against his neck, and despite wanting to resist, wanting to push her away, he couldn't. His head had even lolled to the side to give her better access to his flesh. He felt her lips place ultra soft kisses to his neck, up in a line until they reached his ear where her hot breath drifted from those tender lips.

"I can't give control to someone who doesn't want it." She whispered, placing another soft kiss to his earlobe.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue couldn't form the needed words. His breath was heavy, hot even, thick from having been entranced by the heavenly scent that had put him in this state. He didn't even have the resolve to stop himself from reaching up to place his hand on the nape of her neck and bring her to him, hovering just above his lips with her forehead against his.

"Why... do I feel... like this?" He asked, his voice airy and the words nearly lost in each exhale.

"An aspect of my Bankai. It keeps my multiple victims from acting up while I turn them." She whispered, her breath sweet and smelling just like the mist.

Unable to continue, he used what strength he had left to pull their lips together. His world erupted into a swirl, dizzying and absolute as if caught in the torrent of a storm. His lips danced with hers, hot and slick, with their tongues battling for control that he seemed to be losing. The scent of cherry blossoms grew even thicker as what remained of his consciousness told him the mist was entering his body. He could taste it, feel it in his lungs and it was at that moment his world went dark.

* * *

Byakuya's eyes shot open as he sprang bolt upright in bed, finding that he had been moved to the master bedroom some time during the night. The air was warm, comfortably so, and he could clearly see that it was well into the daylight hours by how the sun's light hit the sliding door of his room. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, so he made to get up and reached for his morning robes that he instantly tied around himself.

He slid the door open to reveal a sunbathed garden that was alive with birds, cherry blossoms and fish that played in the perfect pond. The branches of the trees slowly swayed to the breeze's lead, filling the air with a gentle rustle that echoed within the breeze itself, carried on whispers that stretched from horizon to horizon.

He took a step forward out into the sun, his bare feet becoming swathed in the heat of the sun's rays as he looked around for any sign of life other than that of the birds that had nested in his trees. There was no one around, not a soul, so he stepped out into the garden and relished in the feel of the soft grass against his chilled skin.

"What happened last night?" He asked himself as he began to walk along the stone path that encircled his pond.

"There you are, My Darling." Said a voice from behind him.

At the sound of the voice, he froze where he stood, hesitating to turn around. He knew that voice, knew that sound that could send his mind splitting in every direction. He knew the lips it came from, knew the throat, knew the tongue that said every word and it was a sound that had haunted his dreams.

However, it was that very same sound that willed him to turn around to see the woman standing behind him with feather, shoulder length black hair that curled around her pretty face. Her eyes were large and a warm shade of violet, her skin pale, but warm at the same time. Her small figure was wrapped in a lightweight pink and purple kimono that hugged her curves better than water in a bath ever could. He knew this woman, this small woman with eyes filled with love that were looking back at him.

She was his wife.

"Hisana?" He exhaled, his silver eyes wide with disbelief.

"Of course, My Darling. I was wondering when you'd wake." She smiled as she trotted up to him and wrapped her arms around his larger frame.

It was her. The way she acted, the way she hugged him, the way she felt against him. His arms instantly snaked around her and lifted her off her feet with ease, burying his nose into her sun warmed hair for a breath that was entirely comprised of her scent. She weighed the same, smelt the same, was the same.

"Hisana, where have you been?" He asked, setting her down, but keeping his hands on either side of her soft jawline to stroke her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Looking for my sister, of course." Hisana said, resting her delicate hands over his.

"Did you find her?" Byakuya asked, not even giving her a chance to answer as his lips crushed down on hers.

The sound of her laugh against his lips sent his heart a flutter, the mere sound of it enough to send a roaring wave crashing down his spine. He kept her there for several moments before releasing her lips and giving her a chance to speak, keeping his forehead to hers out of sheer desire to have her as close as possible.

"Yes... Yes, Byakuya, I did." She said, smiling even wider and with a newly formed glassy sheen over her eyes that he would have missed if he hadn't been so close.

"You found Rukia?" He gasped, swiping a thumb beneath her eye to capture a soft tear that was camouflaged by her skin.

"Yes." She continued to smile.

The sound of a laughing child drew his attention, seeing a small, beaming little one running towards them. Her face was hers, it was his adopted sister's, but she was so much younger than he had thought. She was but a child with big bright violet eyes and equally as big a smile.

"Nii-sama! Nii-sama!" The little girl beamed as she ran into his awaiting arms.

He swept her up and held her close, hugging her as if afraid she would vanish if he let her go. The little girl giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, still giggling, still smiling and as he lovingly rubbed her small back, his silver eyes began to sting.

"Rukia... You've gotten so big." He said softly, resting his cheek against her feathery black hair.

The little girl sat up, still with her beaming smile in place and rested her tiny hands against his cheeks.

"Of course, Nii-sama!" She giggled.

At the sight of it all, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face and in all honesty, he didn't want to.

"Oh! She's not the only one who's gotten big. Feel!" Hisana smiled as she grabbed his hand.

The smile that the little Rukia had caused fumbled as Hisana placed his hand over her belly that he only then noticed was pushed out through the fabric of her robes. His eyes filled with more barely contained tears as the barest of thumps kicked against his palm.

 _No... No, this can't be! This can't be real!_ His mind raced as the tears began to fall.

As if all of it couldn't be any more unreal, more giggling children's voices began to fill the garden to break his train of thought.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

The pair of voices belonged to a small boy and a small girl, both with midnight hair and eyes of silver and violet. They ran and played through the garden as they made their way to him, laughing, beaming with true happiness until they plowed into his legs and attached themselves to each one.

"We love you, Daddy!" The small children sang, their voices music to his ears.

"Wanna go play tag?" Little Rukia asked, looking down from her high perch in his arms.

"Yeah!" The boy and girl shouted.

Byakuya knelt down and set Rukia on her little feet, and the three little children ran off into the garden, chasing each other as they laughed and played. His heart was racing, slamming against his chest as if it was trying to punch a hole through him. This couldn't be real, couldn't exist. It was too perfect, but the sheer torrent of emotions that was washing over him was too much to consider otherwise. This is what he wanted, to wake up to a family with smiling faces and love in their vibrant eyes.

"Is something wrong, My Darling?" Hisana asked as she leaned into him and rested a hand on his barely covered chest.

 _Yes... Yes there is._ "No, My Dear. Everything is... perfect." He said, his smile nearly completely gone as he wrapped an arm around her petite shoulders.

"I'm glad to hear it." Hisana said as she rested her temple against his chest to listen to his racing heart.

He didn't want to admit it to her out of the fear of causing her worry, but something was, indeed, wrong. Something that he couldn't place. He couldn't think about what it was however. There was no thought, no realization as to what could be causing this ache in his heart that thumped along with each pump. The air was real, the feel of the warm day against his skin was real and she was real; They were all real. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something.

Just as he had reserved himself to forget the ill feeling, the edges of his vision began to blur with hazy black, swirling, dancing in inky circles that were closing in on his vision. His head spun and he stumbled to the ground as a pain in his head spiked and roared as if he stood beneath a thundering waterfall. His ears rung, his chest tightened and it took everything he had to keep from collapsing into a trembling heap on the grass.

"Darling? What's wrong?" Hisana asked, crouching beside him with worry clear in her soft tone.

"I-I don't know." Byakuya groaned, clawing at his hair as if it would help to steady the unstable sensation coursing through him.

The pain in his chest erupted to the point where he couldn't bite back the growl of pain from escaping his throat. His teeth clenched hard, only adding fuel to the fire in his head and he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't stay up on all fours.

Giving up, he collapsed to the ground just as the world darkened and finished closing in on him.

Byakuya fell forward onto the bamboo mat that covered the training room floor, his chest heaving with breaths that nearly instantly turned stale in his panting lungs. His head throbbed and his skin felt oddly warm and cold like he was stricken with fever. His forehead was caked with sweat that beaded down his skin and soaked into his hair, making it clump to his face in uncomfortable dreads.

He slowly pushed himself up, only then feeling the wet heat just beneath his nose. He dabbed his fingers against it and pulled his hand away, bringing the blood into view, but it was only a small trickle that had stopped before he had even realized his nose was bleeding.

"Here." Said a soft voice in the darkness, holding out a small piece of cloth in a delicate, yet trembling hand.

Byakuya looked up to see Nyruki, golden yellow eyes looking down on him with a thick shield of tears covering each one. He took the cloth and dabbed his nose as he took a moment to take in what was around him.

All the other captains lay sprawled out on the floor, most having passed out from exhaustion, but some where simply laying on their sides trying to catch their breath that heaved in and out. He looked over to Ukitake and Kyōraku to see that Ukitake was being supported by the latter, whom was rubbing his back, and the white haired man was supporting his own head in one hand while he breathed into a cloth held in the other.

"What happened?" Byakuya asked, his voice more ragged than he would have liked as he fully sat down and tried to catch his breath.

"I had... an attack." Ukitake said with a thick accent of hoarseness that was easily heard, even through the cloth over his mouth.

"When?" Byakuya asked.

"During the illusion." He admitted, his eyes shifting over to look at him with a pained haze that made Byakuya's chest ache.

Byakuya shifted his gaze back up to Nyruki, whom had gone to tend to each captain. Soi-Fon, Hitsugaya and Kenpachi were all fast asleep in various positions with their breathing hoarse and sped up. Unohana had slumped over against Sajin Komamura whom had simply fallen backwards onto his back with arms spread eagle and Kyōraku continued to tend to Ukitake, but he too had a small, thread thin stream of blood that trailed around his mouth to the point of his sharp chin.

There was no forgetting what he had seen, what he had experienced whilst under the Zanpakutō's illusions. His eyes continued to sting just as they had been, threatening to pour tears down his face in a war that he was very much losing and no amount of his near unbeatable resolve was going to change that. He was awash with anger, hatred, love and affection; All of it battled within him without a care of the damage they were causing.

The only thing that served to distract him from the storm was when Nyruki, her own tears already plunging down her cheeks, knelt down in front of him with a defeated slouch.

"I-I'm sorry." She quietly sobbed, her shoulders slumped and her head hung that dangled her sweat clumped hair in front of her face to shield it from view.

"She showed me perfection." Byakuya said, his voice cracking from the emotion that he was struggling to bring back under his control.

"She showed us all perfection, Kuchiki." Said Kyōraku, finally dabbing the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

"Why do our noses drip blood?" Byakuya asked, dabbing once more to make sure the flow had stopped, which it had.

"You can't stay under Kibōyūwaku's hold for too long. It's the start of becoming locked in her illusions when your noses start to bleed." Nyruki said, never once looking up from the floor to allow him to see her face.

"I was only there for a few minutes!" Byakuya snapped angrily, unable to stop his voice from rising. His eyes were wild, angry and his teeth were clenched down hard.

"You where under for five hours." Nyruki said, shaking.

The wind had gotten sucked from his sails as he slumped from his energy reserves being nearly exhausted. That couldn't be right, but as he looked towards the closed doors of the training room, the silver moonlight that had been there at the start, was gone. The moon had changed its position in the black sky.

She was right.

Through all the battling, the struggling to keep his emotions in check and return to the stature that was his shield, he lost the war as those very tears leapt from his eyes for real.

With both hands covering his face, the great, expressionless Byakuya Kuchiki, 28th head of the Kuchiki clan and Captain of the 6th Division, sobbed into his hands.

"She was your wife." Nyruki said softly, still unmoving from her spot in front of him as he sobbed.

Byakuya simply nodded, never lifting his head from his hands.

"She died about fifty years ago." Kyōraku said, rubbing Ukitake's back as the softest of coughs shook through him. The last remnants of his attack.

"She died in front of me during the plum blossom bloom." Byakuya mumbled, finally lifting his head to look at Nyruki with tear stained cheeks.

"I know." Nyruki said.

Byakuya's brows instantly pulled down hard into an angry sneer, "How would you know?" He barked loudly.

The sudden snap from her Captain made her jump backwards, landing on her backside and still with falling tears that clung to her jaw.

"Byakuya!... Relax." Ukitake hissed, looking over but never once removing his head from his hand, his eyes blurry and face tear stricken.

Ukitake was right in that he needed to calm down, as it wasn't her fault. He had to remind himself of that several times before he could release the tension in his brow. It took a moment, but eventually, he was able to as Nyruki continued.

"I know everything she showed you... What she showed to everyone. I felt every emotion, every injury-" She was interrupted.

"Injury?" Byakuya exhaled with the return of a mild crinkle in his brow, but this time, it was not born of anger.

With a soft sniffle, Nyruki simply reached up and carefully tugged aside the hem of her top, revealing an angry red, but clean cut across her collarbone. It wasn't bleeding, but by all accounts, should be because it appeared deep, even in the darkness.

"What happened?" Byakuya asked, shifting his eyes up to hers in time to see the painful wince as the cloth of her top returned over the cut.

"Captain Zaraki. He has its twin." Nyruki said ultra softly and with another soft sniffle.

Byakuya looked passed her at the monster of a man passed out on his side. Even in the dark, he could see the slash across the man's chest, but his had bled, staining his tattered captain's haori with deep crimson.

"If we're injured, you're injured?" Byakuya asked, sitting up straight and back on his heels as he dabbed his forehead dry with the cloth.

"Kibōyūwaku says it wouldn't normally be that way, that if I was in control, I could pick and choose whose illusions I see and I won't be hurt, but since I'm not, it's not my choice." Nyruki said, her sobs quieting as she just sat still, not wanting to agitate her wound.

"All the more reason for you to gain control." Byakuya said with an uncharacteristic sniffle that was so light, most would have missed hearing it.

Nyruki nodded, "I understand, Captain."

Byakuya used the cloth one last time to dry his face from the lingering tears and he was relieved that he was given that semblance of self control. It had been a long time since tears were seen by anyone other than his own eyes, and he would very much like to keep it that way.

However, his own feelings were pushed into the back of his mind when Nyruki began to sway in front of him, teetering despite being knelt on her knees. She was having difficulty staying upright and he could see it, clearly, in her golden eyes that she was fading and fast.

"Are you alright?" He asked, finally being able to even his breathing so he wasn't panting for breath.

Nyruki nodded, but the action spent the last of what she had left. She fell forward, only to be caught when Byakuya reached out his arms to keep her from falling face first into his chest. That proved an impossible feat, as his own strength was on its last legs and she slumped against him with her ear over his heart and his hands gripping her shoulders.

"I'm... so... tired." Nyruki breathed, just allowing herself to sink against him, as she didn't have the energy to right herself, let alone care.

"As... am I." Byakuya whispered, unable to get his voice any louder.

Before anything else could be said, he looked over just as Ukitake and Kyōraku both slumped onto the floor, unconscious, with their breathing even and unlabored. Nyruki soon followed, as he could tell when her muscles completely gave up trying to keep her up. The dead weight of her against him felt like a boulder, as his strength was completely exhausted. He fell backwards onto his back with Nyruki slipping from his grasp, rolling off of him to lay at his side with her head resting against the outside of his hip. He wanted to care about it, but that would require energy that he just didn't have. Every limb was heavy, even his head which had lolled to the side out of sheer lack of ability to keep it up. He had nothing left and with the tank finally empty, his eyelids closed into a dreamless sleep. A blissfully dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: My laptop is still for sale, but imma still use it till then. If I miss an update, one of two things happened; I sold my laptop, or I forgot lol. Until then, I will continue to post on time. Anyways, here's chapter 8! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Byakuya opened his eyes into the darkness of the training room that had lightened into a dull yellow as the beams of sunlight warmed the doors on the afternoon side of his estate. He hadn't moved an inch during his slumber and it had resulted in a stiff crick on one side of his neck. He still felt heavy, dreary, but with the sun high and the air in the room becoming stuffy to his lungs, he began the process of getting up with limbs that felt weighted down.

He rubbed his neck as he pushed himself up to sit with his remaining arm. It was then that he noticed the still sleeping woman at his hip, whose arm was draped over his lap and whose face was buried in the fabric of his captain's haori. It was clear that she hadn't moved an inch either.

Rolling out his neck, he glanced around the room to see if anyone else had awoken, but he had been the first. He carefully removed Nyruki's arm from across his lap and stood, taking a moment to steady himself on wobbly feet before scuffing over to the small table that was still burdened with forgotten tea and snacks. He sat down and gulped whatever remained in his tea cup without a care that it was ice cold and left an old taste in his mouth. He simply needed something to drink to wet his tongue and throat from feeling as if they were sun dried.

The quietness of the room left him alone with his thoughts, which briefly touched on the previous night's events before blanking out to his sighed relief. The stale taste of his own breath made him desperate for fresh air, so he stood and went to the door.

The outside heat was like the warm embrace of a lover and it did wonders to help clear his stuffy head. His hair, which felt dirty and was still dreaded from dried sweat, rustled in the warm breeze as it blew through the garden, ripping cherry blossoms from his trees to color the garden in dots of soft pink. He just stood there in the middle of his garden with his eyes closed, breathing in ambrosia like breaths of the fresh air and not even moving when his Lieutenant arrived.

"Captain! There you are!" Renji called out as he walked up, disbelieving the Captain's disheveled appearance which he didn't think the man was capable of doing.

"What time is it, Renji?" Byakuya asked, dropping his face into his hand to rub his achey eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"It's after lunch, Captain." Renji said as he studied the man whom he usually saw as a picture of nobility with mildly furrowed brows.

Sighing, Byakuya lifted his head and dared to look over to his taller lieutenant, "What day?"

Renji softly gasped, but answered.

"Wednesday." He said, trying to hide his disbelief.

"Good. I'm not missing any days." Byakuya said as he reached up and began to fiddle with the silver hair piece that rested at the crown of his head, as it had dug into his scalp while he slept.

"What happened, Captain? I've never seen you like this before." Renji dared to ask.

"These words do not leave this estate. Am I clear?" Byakuya warned sternly as he carefully pulled the silver hair piece so not to snap strands of his hair.

Renjy simply nodded.

"The Captains had our first training session with Nyruki Sawada yesterday evening." Byakuya said, breathing in deep breaths of fresh air that helped to regain some of his lost energy.

"What? Why?" Renji tried not to gasp, but it came out anyways.

"To learn to resist her Zanpakutō's abilities." Byakuya said in his typical monotone manner.

"Oh." Renji said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Byakuya nodded, but remained silent as he examined the silver hair piece with four bars connected at one end by loops and followed the arc of his head.

"T-The squad was worried about you, Captain. That's why I'm here. I was looking for you... Though I kinda blew by your attendant. He's probably mad." Renji said, not wanting the silence to take its hold of them for too long.

"It's fine, Renji. The squad is yours until I return. I'd recommend informing all the squad lieutenants that the captains will be unavailable for the foreseeable future." Byakuya said, taking the chance to stand up straight into his normal posture.

However, the energy wasn't quite there as his shoulders slumped almost immediately, spurring Renji to reach for him out of the fear that he was about to collapse to the ground.

"Captain!" Renji yelped, having grabbed Byakuya's shoulders to help support him.

"I'm alright. Just exhausted from our ordeal. Could you go to Squad 4 and have some medical supplies brought?" Byakuya asked, holding his forehead from of a developing dull ache.

"Are you hurt?" Renji asked, immediately looking his Captain over for any obvious sign of injury.

"No, but we do have a couple injured. Nothing life threatening, but they need attention." Byakuya said, holding his breath as he tried again to stand on his own, this time with success.

"Of course. Do you need anything else?" Renji asked.

"If you happen to see my attendant as you leave, could you have him bring some food and fresh tea as well? I apologize for saddling you with all of this, but it appears this training is going to take more effort than I thought." Byakuya said.

"It's not a problem, Captain. I'll take care of it."

Renji flash stepped away, returning Byakuya to the serenity of his garden until the low wooden groan of the training room door blanketed the soft wisp of the breeze. He turned to see whom it was, being Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku and Tōshirō Hitsugaya, all with dreary looks on their faces as if they hadn't slept in days.

"Figures you'd already be awake." Kyōraku said, rubbing the back of his neck that had also developed a kink during the night.

"I only just awoke a few minutes ago." Byakuya said, drawing in a breath as he clasped his hands behind his back, which revealed the stiffness seated in both his shoulder blades.

"Do you feel like you got ran over by a herd of stampeding Hollow?" Ukitake asked, wincing from the brightness of the sun overhead.

Byakuya sighed, but nodded, "Yes, I do. How are you fairing?"

"I need tea." Ukitake said as he tried to swallow, but his throat was uncomfortably dry, making the act more akin to swallowing a mouthful of sand.

"I have my Lieutenant taking care of a few things for us. Hopefully it will not take long." Byakuya said.

"What the hell happened last night?" Hitsugaya groaned as he cupped his hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun.

"We were caught off guard by a great deal." Ukitake said, resting a tired hand on the small Captain's shoulder that he made no attempt to shrug off. That would have required energy.

"How're we supposed to learn to break through that? There was no weakness in those illusions. I should have known that something was wrong, but I didn't have the awareness to resist what I was seeing." Hitsugaya said, rubbing his face with both hands quite vigorously with the hope of wiping away the tired.

"Neither of us did. I saw Hisana, and I was surrounded by my children and Rukia. There was plenty to tell me that it wasn't real, like Rukia being only a small child, but I couldn't do anything about it. I just accepted it as truth." Byakuya said, slowly shaking his head.

"It was the same for me." Ukitake groaned.

"What did you see?" Hitsugaya asked, looking up at him.

"I was laying in my deathbed. I was moments away from succumbing to my illness, but I was surrounded by everyone I have ever loved; My children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren... a woman I assume was my wife. Despite being near death, I was happy that I had gotten to live such a fruitful life before slipping into oblivion." Ukitake said, resting his other hand on his aching chest.

"I assume that's when you had your attack?" Kyōraku asked, helping to support his friend on his unstable feet.

"No. It was the shock of the illusions that caused it. I had no idea I was having an attack until Nyruki pulled me out." Ukitake said, rubbing his throat.

"So what happens now? When do we try again?" Hitsugaya asked, crossing his arms.

"Tonight. We can spend what's left of the day to recover and clean ourselves, but we do not have time to skip a day. This is going to be very difficult, even for us." Byakuya said, drawing in a breath that succeeded in riding his lungs of the last of the staleness from inside.

"We'll need to make preparations then." Kyōraku said.

"I've already tasked my Lieutenant with informing the other squads. All of them should be able to maintain order in our absence." Byakuya said.

"Good idea." Ukitake nodded.

Again, the door to the training room slid open as Nyruki stepped out into the light, bathing her in its warmth. However, with the newfound light, all of them could clearly see the reddened gash across her chest that had yet to weep a single drop of blood.

"Nyruki? No!" Ukitake gasped, ignoring his own discomfort as he rushed to her side.

"I'm alright, Captain... Really." She said, wincing at the pain each step caused in her chest.

"No, you're not! What happened?" Ukitake asked, leading her by the shoulders to the group out in the garden.

"So long as her Zanpakutō is in control when we are under her influence, if we are injured, Nyruki is as well. You'll see that Kenpachi Zaraki has an identical wound." Byakuya said, having to silently admit to himself that it was an ugly wound and unbecoming to her features.

"That's unacceptable! We can't do this anymore! Not at the risk of her suffering from our desires!" Ukitake said, his hands never moving from Nyruki's shoulders.

"It was only Kenpachi's desires that resulted in that. I'll bet a bottle of sake he was in a fight." Kyōraku said.

"The evidence of that is clear, Captain Kyōraku. However, we have to continue under the Head-Captain's orders." Byakuya said a matter-of-factly.

"I want to continue. I don't wanna lose everything I've worked so hard for." Nyruki said, breathing through the spiking pain that was now being caused by the breeze blowing through the garden and against her chest.

"But if your life is at risk-" Ukitake began, but closed his mouth when Nyruki looked up at him.

"I mean it. I want to continue." She said, her golden eyes sparkling with that infallible determination that all the Captains had seen in her.

"You won't be able to sway her, Jūshirō. She's made up her mind." Kyōraku said as he produced a crooked grin.

Ukitake's brows furrowed, "I know, but I don't like the fact that whatever happens to us, happens to her."

"Once she gains control during Shikai and Bankai, it will not be that way any longer." Byakuya said.

"I hope you're right, Byakuya." Ukitake said, releasing Nyruki's shoulders.

The silence that befell them only lasted a moment as once again, the wooden door of the training room slid open. The rest of the Captains; Kenpachi, Unohana, Soi-Fon and Komamura, stepped out into the blinding light of the sun, just as exhausted as the rest of them.

"Well that was fun." Kenpachi groaned, holding his head with a hand as he shielded his eyes from the sun with the other.

"So who were you fighting?" Kyōraku asked, taking note of the dried slash across his chest that had bled quite a bit.

"Kuchiki... It was awesome." Kenpachi grinned.

"We can see that." Ukitake said flatly with furrowed brows.

Retsu Unohana, as tired as she looked, still managed to smile softly as she inspected the wound, "My my, Kenpachi. Lets get this taken care of."

"Her as well, Retsu." Ukitake said as he again rested a hand on Nyruki's shoulder.

"Oh? Oh dear. You're right, Jūshirō. Come now, the both of you." Unohana managed to beam as she lead the pair back into the training room.

It didn't take long for Byakuya's attendant to arrive with a small team of servants from around the estate. They had brought food, drink, a table to sit out in the sun and were followed by a few members from Squad 4, all of whom carried medical supplies. The medics vanished into the training room as the rest sat at the table and satisfied their exhaustion with the food and drink that instantly returned much of their energy.

"I apologize for imposing like this, Byakuya. It seems as if we're taking advantage of you." Said Ukitake as he savored the fresh tea that worked wonders to calm his aching chest.

"It only made sense in order to provide the necessary facilities, as well as suitable after care. Nyruki's concerns were valid it seems." Byakuya said, sipping his tea before he had even swallowed the rice he had eaten. He was starving, but he would never admit it out loud.

"At least here, the food's good, the drink's good and if any emergency pops up, we're more likely to get care sooner, rather than later." Kyōraku said as he poured himself some sake that he instantly downed without a flinch.

"I am thrilled you approve." Byakuya deadpanned.

As more food was brought to feed the group, Byakuya, Ukitake, Kyōraku and Komamura had all begun to stare as the youngest of them, Hitsugaya, stuffed mouthful after mouthful without even giving himself a chance to breathe between each bite.

"Careful, Tōshirō. You're liable to double your weight if you keep eating like that." Ukitake softly laughed as he took a rather large bite of food himself.

"Look who's talking." Hitsugaya glared as he continued stuffing his face.

"Be nice to him, Jūshirō. We're all starving." Kyōraku said, downing another shot of sake before helping himself to a rice ball.

It was almost as if their stomachs had been tied to that very statement, as all of theirs snarled with a deep growl, begging for more food. What caught them off guard however, was that Byakuya's had growled the loudest, sounding like a deep roll of thunder from a nearby storm.

To his horror, the sound drew their attention and his eyes twitched up to widen from the embarrassment of it. Instead of trying to hide it, he opted to ignore it as he took a sip of tea.

"I don't think I've ever heard his stomach growl like that before. It sounded like me." Sajin Komamura said, helping himself to five more rice balls.

"No, it sounded like you when you're angry." Kyōraku said, tipping his hat in the direction of the sun to keep the rays from assaulting his eyes.

"Hmm... I would agree." Komamura said with a shrug before continuing to eat.

The small group reserved themselves to eat and sate their growling stomachs, stuffing rice balls and sushi, as well as whatever the kitchen managed to cook up down their throats. They had never been that hungry before, and they figured it had something to do with what they had all gone through the previous night.

It didn't take long for the rest to join them, taking their seats and immediately helping themselves to the hoard of food that Byakuya's servants had brought them. By the time all the food had been consumed, they had already gone through an entire day's worth, for the entire estate, in one sitting.

"You eat like a king, Kuchiki." Kyōraku smiled with a subtle pink hue coloring his cheeks from the sake he had consumed during their meal.

"If the amount was any indication, it will be my last meal for quite some time." Byakuya said without a flinch in his expression.

"Ha! Kuchiki cracked a joke! How often does that happen?" Kyōraku laughed, this time drinking some water to counteract the power of the sake.

"Not since he was a kid and even then, they were rare." Ukitake mumbled, which earned him a glare from the 28th head.

Nyruki's throat cracked with a barely contained laugh, "I shouldn't be hearing this." she drank some water.

Byakuya sighed, "You're fine, Nyruki. I suppose it was inevitable that this side would be seen due to the nature of this training." He sipped his tea.

"How about the fighting side?" Kenpachi grinned.

"I would gladly accept the honor of teaching a barbarian like you what a true warrior is capable of, but not within the immediate vicinity of my home." Byakuya deadpanned, again.

"Thank you for the much needed meal, Captain Kuchiki, but I should get going and get cleaned up before this evening. A long bath will probably help clear my head." Said Hitsugaya as he rose from his chair and swallowed down the belch that filled his throat.

"That is a good idea. That and a nap." Kenpachi said, rising to his feet as well to tower over the youngest Captain.

"The over twelve hours wasn't enough?" Kyōraku asked, arcing a dark brow over its partnered eye.

Kenpachi shrugged, "I like my naps."

"Fair enough." Kyōraku said with one last shot of sake.

With that, the group went their separate ways with the plan to meet back at the Kuchiki estate later that evening. All that remained was the Captain of the 6th Division and his new subordinate, whom had stayed behind to help clean up the devastation from their meal.

"You don't have to help, Ms. Sawada. It is our pleasure to serve Lord Byakuya and his guests." Said the attendant with a pleased smile across his older face.

"I ate, I help." Nyruki said simply as she helped pile the dishes onto a cart a servant had brought.

"Your actions are admirable, Nyruki. However, I was hoping you would walk with me through the gardens so we can discuss some things." Byakuya interrupted, standing at the end of the table with hands clasped behind his back, ready to walk.

"Oh. Um, of course." Nyruki said as she dusted off her hands on her clothes.

Nyruki walked around the table to join her Captain as they started off down the stone path that wrapped around the large koi pond. The sun had crested in the sky some time ago, and was sliding down towards the horizon, making long shadows along the ground.

Now that she was walking, she finally realized just how tired and achey she felt, as her muscles hummed and her stomach was bloated from all the food she had eaten. Despite that however, she felt like they had taken the first hard step forward and it helped to give her a glimmer of hope that they might be able to make their one month deadline.

"I hope tonight goes better." Nyruki said with a sigh, deciding to break the silence first.

"That is actually what I wanted to discuss." Byakuya said, slowing the walk to barely a shuffle along the path.

Nyruki rubbed the back of her neck, "Oh."

"It is clear you're still fearful of taking control during your Zanpakutō's release. Why do you back down when you have proved your determination to all of us captains while you were training?" Byakuya asked, shooting a sidelong glance in her direction.

"I had nothing before four years ago. I barely had a roof over my head and I had lived alone for so long that I'd forgotten what it was like to have others nearby. To go from that, from nothing, to having a power that can control anything and anyone is a lot to accept, Captain." Nyruki said, flipping her long ponytail back behind her back from having gotten blown in front of her by the breeze.

"I see. You have shown great promise in regards to combating Hollow and have displayed a determination that could prove fruitful should you decide to follow that path. Yet, you shy away from it and Captain Ukitake has even told me that even when faced with the possibility of needing to release your Zanpakutō, you would refuse to, which typically resulted in someone needing to come to your aid during combat situations." Byakuya said, this time, turning his head to fully look at her as they continued their walk.

"It all boils down to that I'm scared of the power and how others will see it." Nyruki admitted with a sigh.

Byakuya drew in a long breath, only to release it the moment his lungs were full, "Nyruki, fear will always be present, but it takes the kind of determination that you have displayed in the past to overcome it. We all have fear and reservations, but those of us who can rise above it, are capable of doing great things with our power."

Hearing his words, Nyruki stopped walking and managed to look up into his silver eyes that were actually softer than what she had come to expect from him. He was being sincere.

"I suppose." Nyruki said, starting to walk again.

"Our Zanpakutōs are extensions of ourselves, Nyruki. They are apart of our very souls. Kibōyūwaku has always been apart of you. You just have to accept that she is an extension of yourself and embrace the power she has given you." Byakuya said, turning the corner along the path to head deeper into the garden.

"If I can ask, Captain, did you ever have trouble with Senbonzakura?" Nyruki asked.

"At first, yes. Senbonzakura is a blade that takes a great deal of concentration to control, be it mentally, or physically. At first, whenever I would practice with Senbonzakura, I would cut my hands and arms because I hadn't grasped what it took to control such power." Byakuya said, briefly glancing down at her.

"That couldn't have felt good." Nyruki cringed at the mere thought of having a thousand blades slicing at her flesh.

"It most certainly did not. I had to learn how to control Senbonzakura's abilities sooner rather than later, because if I hadn't, I wouldn't be standing here now." Byakuya said.

"I'd imagine not. One slip up with Senbonzakura could result in devastating damage." Nyruki said, reaching her hand up to grasp a falling flower from a nearby tree.

"Exactly. It is no different than with Kibōyūwaku. Do not fear its power. Embrace its power." Byakuya said.

Nyruki couldn't stop herself from softly smiling, not just from the silken petals in her palm, but from his words which somehow had managed to calm her fear. They weren't words that she had expected to come from him. They seemed that they would be more at home coming from her previous Captain, Jūshirō Ukitake, but that didn't change the fact that they had come from Byakuya Kuchiki.

"You're right, Captain." Nyruki smiled.

"I know. You're dismissed for the remainder of the day. Be back here this evening at the same time." Byakuya said, having guided them to the front of his estate without her noticing.

Nyruki, only then noticing that they stood at the foot of the massive wooden gate of the estate, bowed for a moment before taking her leave. She felt oddly light, like someone had helped her carry the weight that had laden itself upon her shoulders. Her Captain's words rang so true, that just the thought of them was enough to make her smile. She found comfort, and a renewed determination that she felt had aimed her in the right direction.

Without even knowing it, she had begun to skip through the streets of the Seireitei, smiling, and ignoring the odd looks she was getting from the other Shinigami she passed by. She was happy and had found herself entering the Squad 6 barracks, still beaming, to get cleaned up for the next training session that was quickly approaching.

"Hey! Nyruki!" Someone called as she trotted up the hallway towards her room.

She stopped her skip and turned around to see Renji jogging up to her with his hair swishing back and forth with each stride.

"Hey, Lieutenant." Nyruki said, relaxing her smile.

"Renji's fine." He said as he slowed to a walk.

"Alright. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked, having to look up in order to make eye contact.

"Hey look... There's a couple guys from Squad 11 who wanna meet you because they don't believe your spiritual power is higher than their Captain's." Renji said, grinning with a crooked smirk as he ran a hand back through his bright red hair.

"Oh? Who?" Nyruki asked, furrowing her brow.

"Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayesegawa. They're a couple of tools, but they're good guys." Renji said, dropping his arm to his side.

"Oh... Um, when?" Nyruki asked, trying not to cringe.

"We're all going to one of the restaurants for drinks and supper tonight. We're supposed to meet up with a couple others too. Izuru Kira from Squad 3 and Rangiku Matsumoto from Squad 10. Did you wanna go?" He asked, still with a crooked grin, but a softer one.

"Oh... That sounds great, but I've gotta head back to... um... the Kuchiki estate for training tonight." She said, having lowered her voice to just above a whisper so it didn't carry down the hall.

"Oh damn... That's right. Oh! Rukia's supposed to be there too. You know her a bit don't you?" Renji asked.

"A little bit. I didn't get much time to get to know her because she was always in the World of the Living. Captain Ukitake speaks highly of her though." Nyruki said, leaning back against the wall and crossing her arms.

"Yeah... It's kind of her assignment. Hey, next time you're free, why don't we go to the World of the Living? I'm due to drop in on Ichigo anyways and see Rukia. He needs a good slapping around by someone with just as much spiritual pressure as him, if not more." Renji said, his grin widening to become sheepish, clearly giving his mischievous intent away.

"Ichigo?" Nyruki's eyebrow popped up.

"Oh! Shit! That's right! You've never met him! I'm sure you've heard of him, haven't you?" Renji asked a bit loudly for the hallway.

"Sort of... Captain Ukitake didn't talk too much about him. Only mentioned him every now and again when we trained." Nyruki shrugged.

"Damn... Ichigo's a massive retard, but he helps us out more than we'd like to admit. He drives Captain Kuchiki nuts, so much so that the Captain refuses to call him anything other than Ichigo Kurosaki. Man, you should see the looks he can get the Captain to make." Renji laughed.

"Sounds like crazy to me." Nyruki smiled.

"He is, but he's good people." Renji's smile finally relaxed.

"Good. Hey, I wish I could go tonight, but I've really gotta concentrate on this training. Last night didn't go so well." Nyruki's smile completely faded.

Seeing that, Renji finally took notice of the bandages wrapping her chest, partially covering up the black bandages she usually wore beneath her top. The sight of it wiped his smile from his face in an instant.

"Wow... What the hell happened?" Renji asked.

Nyruki waved her hand, "Too much to explain. Tell everyone that I'm sorry and maybe next time for me alright?"

"Yeah. Will do." Renji said, then sighed.

Shooting the taller man a short smile, Nyruki headed for her room which was only a few more doors down. It was a small room, only big enough for one person and maybe a few personal items, and with a small window that at least provided a good view of the barracks square that they used for training. The only thing she had was a small bedroll that butted up against the window, as she hadn't even had a chance yet to make it her own.

She leaned her Zanpakutō against the wall, pulled off her footwear so she was barefoot and removed the bands from around her bicep before heading for the bathhouse to get cleaned up, all the while thinking about how the fast approaching evening would go.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Four more nights had passed, all of which had resulted in vastly similar results, save for that Captain Ukitake hadn't had another attack since their first night. All the Captains had spent nearly five hours under Kibōyūwaku's control with no one getting any closer to breaking free. Their desires had varied only slightly, but ultimately, Kibōyūwaku prevailed in keeping them from resisting.

However, each night also resulted in a new non-bleeding wound that would appear from whatever Kenpachi was fighting and each morning, Captain Unohana would have to treat them both. The only reason she had let the wounds slide, was because the petite Captain was so skilled with healing, there wasn't be a scar left behind.

That seemed to be the only good thing, as she had yet to gain control during her Shikai, which ultimately lead to Kibōyūwaku kissing each and every one of them in some form, or another.

Now, faced with her fifth night, Nyruki scuffed along the stone path surrounding the Kuchiki koi pond, with her arms crossed and a storm threatening overhead. The sky was a sickly black, starless, and flashing every so often with blinding white from the lightning that ached to reach the ground. The air was filled with the scent of approaching rain, electric and uneasy, and each time the flash temporarily blinded her, she would blink and miss seeing the bolts.

"I'm never gonna get this." Nyruki grumbled to herself, kicking a small stone back into the pond with a low splashing plunk.

"I'm sure the fish appreciate that." Said a sudden voice from behind her, startling Nyruki to jump in surprise.

She instantly relaxed when she noticed the long, windswept white hair falling around his right shoulder and with a kind face that had been decorated with an identical smile.

"Shit... I thought Captain Kuchiki was about to murder me." Nyruki blew out a nervous breath as her arms dropped to her sides.

"He wouldn't have said anything. You would have just fallen over dead, if not severally injured." Ukitake grinned as he pulled his hair back behind his neck.

"Thanks for that. That makes me feel better." Nyruki scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I apologize," He laughed, "What's bothering you?" He added, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Self doubt. We've been at this for almost a week and nothing. None of us have made any progress." Nyruki said, recrossing her arms as she looked down at her feet.

"Well, that's not entirely true. I haven't had an attack so that's positive isn't it?" Ukitake smiled.

Nyruki shrugged, "Yeah, it is."

"Oh, come on now, Flower. We'll get it. We just need more time is all." Ukitake said, taking his hand back as he ducked his head to get a better look at her saddened face.

"I wish I could believe you, Papa. Apparently I still don't have the will to take over when I release her. I swear, if I have to kiss you people one more time-" She growled, tightening her grip on her upper arms.

"Relax, Nyruki. I didn't think I was that bad at it." Ukitake joked simply to ease the tension, but it still painted a blush across his cheeks.

Nyruki's face met the palm of her hand, "Seriously?"

"Again, I apologize. I was simply trying to ease your tension is all. I've had to look passed them myself." Ukitake said, hiding his hands in his sleeves.

"I know. Me too." She sighed.

"Is it still the fear of the power she gives you?" He asked.

"I don't know. I really don't. This is my power and there's nothing that can change that, so why can't I take control?" Nyruki shrugged.

"That's a question only you can answer, I'm afraid." Ukitake said softly.

"I know." Nyruki sighed again.

A stiff gust of wind began to kick up from the nearing storm, and she was about to shiver when a warm arm wrapped around her shoulders to protect her from the chilly wind. After four years, it had become a welcomed gesture and she no longer flinched from Ukitake's actions of comfort and support. Now, they were what they were supposed to be and not what they had been.

"Come on. Let us get inside before the skies open up." Ukitake said, still smiling, as he began to lead her to the training room.

Inside, it was far warmer and lit with candles to ward off the encroaching darkness from the angry heavens. An ultra low and distant rumble rattled through the sky, so deep that Nyruki could feel it in her feet. The captains had all just arrived, with the exception being that of the captain of Squad 12, whom had yet to receive a single training session and that worried her more than the storm outside did.

"When is Captain Kurotsuchi going to attend?" Nyruki asked as she sat down to remove her footwear.

"I have approached him regarding his absences, but he continues to give the excuse that he is far too busy." Said Byakuya, already sitting on the bamboo matting with his hands resting on his knees.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll go to bat for Nyruki if Mayuri never shows." Said Kyōraku, lounging on his side with his head cradled in his hand.

"As will I. She's working hard to train us and it wouldn't be fair for her to fail her objectives because that madman didn't bother to show up." Ukitake said, sitting down next to his best friend.

"As will I." Byakuya said simply.

Nyruki couldn't help the soft smile as she padded into the center of the familiar circle, "That means a lot to me."

"Lets get this started. I might have it this time." Soi-Fon said, taking in several long, calming breaths to ready herself.

"I admire your confidence, Captain." Nyruki said as she rolled out her neck a bit.

"Take notes, Nyruki." Byakuya said, but his tone lacked any sort of bite, instead sounding more like words of encouragement.

"Of course, Captain." Nyruki nodded, "Alright. Every one ready?" She added after she blew out a breath.

She was met with varying degrees of yes with a few nods as she pulled her Zanpakutō from its sheath and, as she had always done, brought the silver blade to her lips.

"Fall into desire; Kibōyūwaku." She spoke softly, letting her lips graze over the steel.

As it had always done, the blade began to glow with an intense white before disintegrating into the ultra fine mist that swirled around her as if it was stuck in orbit. She stood still, watching the mist curl and creet up her body like a lover's hands until it drifted into her nose and mouth, beginning her internal battle for supremacy.

As the mist vanished into Nyruki's body, the captains watched and waited, giving her a chance to gaining control. She had begun to battle within herself for the throne, and just that yesterday eve, she had nearly wrested it from the spirit of Kibōyūwaku, only to fail at the last second which turned her eyes a deep shade of crimson. She would try again tonight, and they would wait, and watch, and believe it or not, hope that this time, she would succeed.

Suddenly, Nyruki's whole body began to quiver, shaking as if she was stricken with the worst fear ever to exist. Her head threw back, painfully far as she began to gasp and choke, spurring two of the captains to leap to her defense as she fell to the bamboo mats.

"Nyruki!" Ukitake yelped as he raced to her side, reaching her in time to catch her as she fell backwards.

Nyruki's entire form had gone ridged, her breath choking and short as if she were drowning. He tried to pick her head up to open her airway, but the muscles were too stiff and prevented him from doing anything but hold her against him, cradled in his arms.

"Hold her still!" Byakuya said firmly as he knelt over the quaking woman, placing his hands on either side of her neck.

Ukitake did just that as he shifted his hold so that her back was against his chest and her face was blindly screaming up at him. Here, he could see that her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, turning them completely white which actually began to frighten the well seasoned Captain.

"Listen to me, Nyruki. Listen to my voice." Byakuya said, holding her head and using enough of his strength to at least pry it forward enough to see into her white eyes, "She has no hold on you. She is your tool of death, yours to command. You are the master, the one whom makes the rules, the one whom she must follow. You are the one she belongs to and it will forever be that way. Do not let her win in this battle for your soul. Fight her. Fight back and assume the command that has always been yours."

Nyruki continued to choke and gasp for air, but her arms had begun to shakily rise from her side to clutch at his wrists. Her body shook, her skin paled and her nails had begun to dig into Byakuya's flesh. He never even flinched from the pain as he continued to stare into her eyes, waiting and hoping that this time, she would win her internal struggle.

With a loud sucking gasp, Nyruki's back arced hard, throwing her head back into Ukitake's chest as the air surrounding her began to glow with a soft lavender. However, the sheer weight of her spiritual pressure did not crush down on them. Instead, it was soft, lightweight and just enough to make itself known.

In an instant, Nyruki fell limp against him and her hands released their hold on Byakuya's wrists to flop lifeless to the floor.

The training room was silent, the most silent that any of them had ever heard it. It hung over them like a heavy winter's blanket, stifling and constricting, but it was soon broken by the low groans from the woman still supported in Ukitake's arms.

Still holding her head, Byakuya just watched as her eyelids began to flutter.

She drew in a long breath as she finally opened her eyes, but what looked back at Byakuya was not golden yellow, or crimson, but one of each.

"Nyruki?" Byakuya asked quietly, removing his hands from the sides of her neck.

"I'm... It's me. It's Nyruki, Captain." She said with airy words, blinking the blurriness from her different colored eyes.

Finally releasing the breath he had been holding, Ukitake released his tight grip on her and helped her to sit up.

"You did it. Are you alright?" Ukitake asked, brushing aside a white lock of her colored hair that had fallen free of her jet black ponytail.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I'm in control." She gulped.

"Your eyes... One is red while the other is gold." Byakuya said, returning his expression to unreadable.

"But I'm in control now. This is me." She said, holding her head in her hand for a moment.

"Well done, Nyruki-chan. Well done." Kyōraku said with a genuine smile stretching across his lips.

Nyruki looked up from her hand, "How is this gonna work now?" She asked, her smile fading nearly as fast as it had appeared.

"I'm ok with how we've been doing it." Kyōraku said, earning a glare from his white haired best friend.

"Of course you are." Ukitake growled.

"He's correct. We tried the blanket mist and it took several minutes to take affect. The direct delivery is our best option." Byakuya said, surprising everyone in the room.

"I'd rather do the blanket mist." Soi-Fon grumbled, crossing her arms.

Before anyone could say anything else, a ball of that very mist crashed into Soi-Fon's face, splattering in a puff before wisping down her throat and drawing the life from her eyes in the same instant.

"Huh... That worked." Nyruki said, looking down at her hand and flexing her fingers.

"That was awesome." Kenpachi chuckled.

"You have new ways of delivery now?" Ukitake asked with a soft smile.

"I guess so. Lets see what else I can do." Nyruki grinned.

As Ukitake and Byakuya backed away to return to their spots, Nyruki rose to her feet and picked up the blade-less handle of her Zanpakutō. She held it to her lips again and uttered the very word that would allow her to turn them all.

"Ban... kai; Shin Kibōyūwaku!"

With a soft aura of lavender, more mist swirled around her before entering her own body, but this time, she didn't drop in convulsions like before. Her eyes remained, one red, one gold, as she began to throw balls of mist at the other captains, mixing each shot with a martial art.

She spun and shot out two balls simultaneously from her mouth, having placed her finger over her lips to split the balls and hit Kenpachi and Unohaha square in the face. She shot another ball of mist from her mouth like a dragon that rocketed into Hitsugaya, wisping down his nose and mouth with a subtle hiss. With a flip backwards, she shot out another and hit Sajin Komamura before landing on her feet facing her last three targets. She had successfully turned them in less than ten seconds.

"Nicely done! That's the kind of stuff we wanna see!" Kyōraku beamed, clapping his hands at the display.

"This is great!" Nyruki said with a wide smile.

"It is. Is there hope for the standard delivery?" Kyōraku grinned with a glean of mischief in his eye.

Instantly, Nyruki blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "But... I uh... Um." She stuttered.

"I would prefer direct as well. The hold is stronger and more of a challenge." Byakuya said, which earned several looks of shock from the other three.

"Yeah. I... I guess we proved that didn't we." Nyruki blushed, continuing to rub the back of her neck.

Ukitake pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yes, I'm afraid we did." He sighed.

Nyruki's blush continued to burn against her cheeks, "Um... Alright... I guess." She gulped.

She blew out a nervous breath as she stepped up to the Captain of the 8th division and knelt down in front of him, nervously biting her bottom lip. She wasn't able to look into his brown eyes out of her nerves until a gentle hand cupped her chin and made her look.

"I don't bite." Kyōraku said, accompanying his words with a sweet smile.

Again, Nyruki blew out her nerves, but she rolled her shoulders back and ignited her determination. That would get her through.

"I know." She whispered.

She didn't give her mind a chance to question any longer as she leaned forward and brought her lips to Kyōraku's, gripping either side of his strong jaw. Her stomach warmly churned as his lips matched hers, dancing and pressing just as hard and he had even beat her to the punch of slipping his tongue into her mouth to separate their lips.

That is when she took the opportunity to unleash her power as she slowly exhaled, drifting the mist from her body to his. She broke the kiss in time to see the half lidded look in his brown eyes. They were full of desire, cloudy and blurry and she knew that his vision was turning black. He was falling under her spell and it was only confirmed when the twinkle in those same eyes went dull.

The nervous churn in her stomach returned to the front of her mind as she stepped in front of Ukitake, whose pale cheeks had colored with the barest of pinks. Throughout the years, he had been like a father to her, had helped teach her and mold her into something far more confident. She felt wrong and the only thought that brought some sort of comfort was that they weren't bound by blood.

"Ready?" She asked as she knelt down in front of him.

Ukitake took in a long breath that filled his ravaged lungs, but nodded as he managed a soft smile. He raised his hands and gently grasped the sides of her neck, guiding her to him until their lips met in the tenderest of kisses.

His lips were warm and like velvet, full of life in clear defiance of his illness. They danced with hers with ease, unaffected by nerves that spiked hot in her stomach. They were comfortable, like the warm rays of the sun after a violent storm and she slowly exhaled the softest of moans through her nose as she let the mist begin its task of taking him.

Again, she broke the kiss in time to see the blurry look in Ukitake's eyes, how they seemed to be unseeing, but still managed to see her right in front of him. The mist was creeping into his awaiting mouth and soon dulled his eyes into blank slates that were solely under her command.

Down to the last of her thralls, she lightly licked her lips to wash away her last two kisses before braving a look at her current Captain, whom was silently sitting with silver eyes watching.

"May I make a request?" Byakuya asked, his steely expression unwavering from its gaze.

"Sure." Nyruki said softly.

"This is your first time being in control, and I would like to see the real extent of your abilities." He said, never moving an inch from his spot.

Nyruki nodded, "Alright."

She rose to her feet and faced her latest victim whom was simply sitting, hands on his thighs with a thousand yard stare in his dull brown eyes.

"Come to me." She said, her head softly tilting to the side.

As commanded, Ukitake rose to his feet and took the couple of steps towards her, resting his hands on her hips as he looked down at her, still with the blind stare in his eyes.

"Do you see him?" She asked, pointing to Byakuya.

Ukitake slowly turned his eyes towards the man, eyes blind, but still aimed in his direction. He only nodded once to serve as his answer.

"Bring him to me." She said, caressing the nape of his neck once before he stepped away.

In a flash, Ukitake appeared behind Byakuya and swooped down, trapping his arms behind him as he yanked him up to his feet with a strong pull. The thrall forced him to step forward before he even had a chance to steady himself on his feet, presenting him to the woman as if he was a prize and pushing him over to make sure his stance remained unsteady.

"Good." Nyruki whispered, her different colored eyes half lidded as she stepped in close to her unturned captive.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed briefly, but they remained on her as she placed a gentle hand on his chest.

"Will that do?" She asked, her voice a whisper in the ultra quiet of the training room.

"They will do anything you ask of them." Byakuya said, his voice just as low as hers.

Nyruki finally tore her eyes from his gaze, "I could make him do... whatever to you and all I would have to do is tell him to. Now do you understand why I fear this power?"

"Only those who fear their own power are capable of resiting its corruption." Byakuya said with his arms still locked behind him from the taller Ukitake.

Her hand still resting on his chest, she knew that he could feel the gentle shake that had taken hold of her. Fearing her power was just something she was going to have to get used to. There was no changing that fact and there was no hiding it from the captains, especially the one standing in front of her with silver eyes. He was right though, right in that this fear that gripped her, that held onto her with unwavering strength, would protect her from falling into its darkness.

Sighing, Nyruki finally lifted her head and looked up into his eyes, "Wise words, Captain."

"Proven words." Byakuya said.

She simply nodded and went stiff as she realized her hand was still resting on his chest, just at the base of the small V that exposed his skin. She jerked her hand away and crossed her arms as she looked away out of embarrassment, not wanting to see the gaze looking back.

"You still have to turn me." Byakuya said, not struggling to free his arms from captivity.

Nyruki blew out another breath, but waved her hand to dismiss her servant, "You may sit, my pet."

The body of Ukitake simply released its hold on Byakuya, allowing him to stand up straight, and went back to where he had been sitting, never once saying a word, if he could at all.

With a soft exhale, Nyruki blew the mist into her awaiting palm, but when an elegant hand grasped her wrist, the mist instantly blew away and harmlessly vanished.

"I believe I said direct delivery." He said, releasing her wrist.

"Captain... I'm not sure I'm ok with that. You're my captain." She said softly, crossing her arms again.

That same elegant hand reached out and lifted her head to look at him with fingers against her chin. They were surprisingly gentle despite their complete ability to take life. His eyes were low, half lidded and his lips were a hair's width apart as he looked at her. His other hand reached out and fluttered over her hip until it came to rest on her lower back where it pulled her into him with just enough strength to keep her from resisting.

"I said direct." Byakuya said ultra lowly, as that was all that was needed for her to hear him.

Nyruki's breath stuttered as it left her lungs, nervous and shaking. Being close to him only rolled her stomach with the sharp sting of acid, but despite that, her hands raised and rested against his chest.

"C-Captain-" She exhaled and gulped.

"It's alright to fear your power, but you have to embrace it." He whispered, the hand that had been cupping her chin now resting against the side of her jaw.

Nyruki found that her words had left her. No amount of wanting to scream, or speak would be capable of producing the necessary sounds to form those words that were running, sprinting through her head.

There, being held against him, his hand on her cheek, she stretched her neck up to meet his awaiting lips, consciously for the first time. They were unbelievably warm, and so soft that their touch seemed only a dream to her; Feather soft and soothing. They were skilled in their ability to move with hers, having taken the lead which left her with the rare feeling of being powerless.

Her arms crawled up his chest and wrapped around his neck, bringing the great Byakuya Kuchiki closer as she finally realized that she had yet to turn him, having gotten lost in the sensation of his lips against hers. She softly exhaled to unleash the mist, only then hearing the baritone moan emanate from his long neck. The sound caused her to suck in a long breath to hide the pounding in her chest, but being that close to him, she was sure he could feel it against his own.

After a minute, a long minute, she broke the kiss and looked up as the last of the mist entered his body through slicked lips. His eyes were still vibrant, full of life, and they watched her without blinking. Her eyes flicked down to his slightly reddened lips, admiring how they still managed to stay as straight and unmoving, but at the last second before his eyes dulled, the corners twitched up.

 _Did he just... smile?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The storm had reached the peak of its strength, pouring rain down on the Kuchiki estate with all its power. The blackened sky flashed constantly with barely contained lightning that was immediately followed by the loudest booms of thunder that actually shook the walls of the manor.

Safe within the confines of the training room, Nyruki sat cross legged in the center of the circle. It was late and she knew it, as she could feel the tiredness creeping up into her jaw for a yawn. The silence gave her time to reflect as she watched over the captains, all of whom were still enthralled by her power.

They had been under for two hours and none showed any signs that they were becoming lost to desire, let alone signs of getting close to breaking free. They all just sat on their heels with their hands on their thighs, their eyes blind and their expressions blank.

"Sit down." She said out loud.

Each enthralled captain immediately obeyed, shifting to fully sit down with crossed legs and all never once moved their heads to look at her. They all continued to look at the floor.

With another soft sigh, she scooted over to Ukitake, wanting to keep a close eye on him in case he had another attack. She rested a hand on his chest, and it slowly rose and fell without any indication that he was struggling. The sound was soft and as it should be, coming in and out of his nose with ease.

"Good. You're breathing alright." Nyruki said softly, taking her hand away that was soon grasped by his to hold it in place. All the thralls would do the same, as they craved the contact with her and obeyed with hopes of reward.

Nyruki smiled softly as she slipped her hand free and placed it against his soft but slightly gaunt cheek. She allowed the contact, but after a moment, she took her hand back and scooted away until she sat in front of Byakuya, whose eyes never shifted to acknowledge her. None of theirs would despite their unspoken want to be near her. None of them would move without her command.

"What do you fear, Captain?" She asked, not expecting an answer.

She didn't get one.

"Do you fear your power? Do you fear your position? What is it you fear that enables you to help me see passed mine?" She continued, watching his blind and dull eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes twitched with the barest of movements and the muscles of his upper body began to spasm ever so slightly. His breath began to hitch in his throat and with each passing second, the twitching grew worse.

"Captain?" Nyruki exhaled as she rose to her knees and scooted closer, placing her hands on either side of his neck to force his head up so she could see his eyes more clearly.

Byakuya's breathing was short, catching in his throat as if he was shivering. His eyes fluttered rapidly, sometimes completely closing, but the silver remained dull and void of a soul, of his consciousness.

"Captain, you can do this. You can break free. You're almost there." Nyruki said, watching his nose for the slightest hint of blood should he be falling completely into desire.

The Captain's breathing and muscle spasms worsened even more, nearly becoming too much for him to remain sitting up.

"Come on, Captain. Fight her." Nyruki whispered through clenched teeth.

Soon, his breaths caught for good in his throat, making a choking gargle that instantly sparked worry within her chest. His eyes widened from the strain of trying to breath, their dull color glassed over as small tears began to leap out from his bottom lid.

Before Nyruki could do anything else, his head threw back and his body went completely ridged with his mouth locked in a silent scream. She rushed to his side and cradled him as he feel back into her arms, still choking and struggling to breathe and with eyes unseeing, locked as wide as his eyelids would allow. His forehead had become slicked with sweat, clinging to the locks of hair that hung over the left side of his face and she softly brushed them aside with her available hand.

It had been too long. He had been without breath and any moment he would slip from the world under her charge. She held her own as she flighted her hand over his agape mouth and drifted it back, pulling the mist from his body and freeing him from her cage.

Instantly, Byakuya coughed and sucked in several loud lungfuls of air that wheezed in and out with a painful howl. His eyes had slammed shut from the racking cough, but the tears had stopped, having only been a couple that had managed to gain their freedom.

"Captain? Captain, are you ok?" Nyruki asked softly, her worry still thumping in her chest and bleeding into her words.

After another short round of coughing, Byakuya's eyes cleared, having recovered their glistening metallic silver hue and looked up at her, realizing he was cradled in her arms.

"I... I almost had it. Why did you pull me out?" Byakuya asked, his voice deep and ragged from the choking.

"Because you were choking." Nyruki said, helping him to sit up.

"I was... I was _being_ choked." Byakuya said, his breath still coming a bit fast and labored.

"You were close. Kibōyūwaku had to result to fear to keep you from breaking free." Nyruki said, resting a hand on his back in case he fall back again.

"Hisana was choking me," He gulped with a hand resting over his throat as if her hands were still there, "She was angry... Her eyes were entirely black. She had tackled me to the ground and sat on my chest with her hands around my throat. She said she'd kill me to keep me from leaving her." He said, staring at the floor as he simply concentrated his efforts on normalizing his breathing.

"If you could have... gotten her off of you, you would have broken free." Nyruki said, taking her hand off his back.

Hearing that, Byakuya shifted his gaze to meet hers, "I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't hit her. I wouldn't. I could never harm her."

"She wasn't your wife. She was an image of your wife whose sole purpose was to keep you from questioning what you were seeing... From wanting to leave." Nyruki said softly, looking to the other captains for any sign of a struggle. They were all silent and still.

Byakuya, for a moment, closed his eyes and rubbed them with his thumb and forefinger.

"Put me back under." He said, looking back at her.

Nyruki shook her head, "You're done for the night. We'll try again tomorrow, Captain."

"Why?"

"Because... You're vulnerable to being lost to desire. The mental strain this causes is immense. I don't even recommend unleashing Senbonzakura in your current state." Nyruki said.

He knew she was right. His mind felt like it had gotten trampled by everything with a foot, leaving him unable to focus on much of anything for longer than a few moments. If he had even attempted to use Senbonzakura in his current state, the resulting injuries could and would be immense, even possibly fatal. Senbonzakura very much had the capacity to turn around and bite.

"Here. Have some water." Nyruki said, having gone to retrieve a cup for the Captain while he mused.

Softly sighing, Byakuya simply took the cup and drank its contents down in a singular, long gulp without even allowing a single drop to escape his lips.

"Easy, Captain. You're still recovering." She said as she sat down on her bum and crossed her legs.

"This is extremely taxing on the thrall isn't it?" He asked as he set the cup down beside him on the bamboo mat.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes, it is. It's a weapon, first and foremost to be used against my enemies. It's why I'm so vigilant with watching over you all. You aren't supposed to get hurt. You aren't an enemy." She said, slightly hanging her head.

"No, but there is a certain amount of danger that comes with training, in any form, whether it be sword, Kidō, or this. We have accepted this danger." Byakuya said evenly.

"I understand, Captain. That doesn't change the fact though that I'm responsible for putting you into that danger." Nyruki said as she rubbed the back of her neck, still looking at the floor.

Byakuya sighed, "We all knew the risks and we accepted them."

Nyruki nodded, "I understand."

Releasing her held breath, Nyruki finally tore her eyes away from the floor, only to fall under his silver gaze. They had resumed their normal stare, that unmovable steel that was always his expression. It was unnerving, but she had been under it so much lately, that she had gotten used to it.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked softly, picking at her fingernails in her lap.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you not fight back against her when she attacked?" Nyruki asked, shifting her eyes down to her hands out of uncertainty of the look she would find herself under.

"Could you attack the one you loved? Even if it was an illusion?" Byakuya asked of her, earning back her eyes.

Nyruki simply shook her head.

"It's the same with me. I loved Hisana with everything my heart could provide. When she passed, I lost a large piece of my soul." Byakuya said with the slightest softening of his stone cold gaze.

"You really loved her despite being arranged?" Nyruki asked, knowing how the noble clans typically operated when progressing their generations.

Byakuya shook his head, "We weren't arranged. I married for love at the behest of my clan's elders. I broke societal rules for her." He said.

"Really?" Nyruki mildly reeled.

"Yes. It wasn't the first time I had either. After Hisana passed away, I broke the rules again when my Grandfather and I adopted Rukia into the Kuchiki clan. That little maneuver angered the elders a great deal." He said as he released a sigh.

"What happened?" She asked, finding that the conversation was easy to listen to despite the nobleman's reputation.

"They summoned me, of course, and told me that if I continued my chronic rule breaking, they would strip me of my title, which would leave the Kuchiki house headless and vulnerable to fall." Byakuya said with the slightest thought as to why he was so willingly answering her questions.

"That's why you swore on your parents grave to never break them again." Nyruki said, not realizing it.

"Pardon? How did you know about that?" Byakuya asked with a crinkling in his brow.

Nyruki began to blush, "Um... Captain Ukitake told me when I was still in his squad." She admitted.

"Somehow that does not surprise me. Yes, I swore to abide by those rules and I nearly made an immeasurable mistake because of it. It took the ravings of, at the time, a fifteen year old boy to put everything back into focus." Byakuya said as the softest of growls rattled through his throat.

Nyruki's brows furrowed, "W-What?"

"Jūshirō told you about my broken promises, but didn't tell you about the one person who gets under my skin on purpose?" Byakuya's mouth twitched up, but only for the blink of an eye so fast, that one would have thought they had missed it.

"Renji mentioned something about that. Ichigo right?" Nyruki asked.

"Yes. That boy is as rough around the edges as his father, but he's smarter than he looks. He quite literally beat some sense into me and I owe him for it. It's because of him that Rukia is still in my life... Still in all of our lives" Byakuya said, drawing in a long breath.

"That I heard about. She was almost executed." Nyruki said.

Byakuya nodded, "Almost, but I owe Ichigo Kurosaki a great deal that she isn't buried next to Hisana."

"How do you do it? Live with that reminder every day?" Nyruki asked, silently chiding herself for even asking.

"It didn't start out easy. At first, I could barely bring myself to even look at her. She looks so much like her sister, but now, she means as much to me as Hisana did." Byakuya said, again with the barest of twitches at the corner of his lips.

Nyruki nodded, "I imagine." She said, opting to stay quiet.

Byakuya, for his part, allowed the silence of the storming night to cover them. The rain hammered against the roof, sounding like millions of tiny stones being dropped and in all honesty, they could be. The thunder was deep enough to be felt in the ground and despite the windows being closed, the flashes of blinding white light still whited out the training room for a split second.

"May I ask a question now?" Byakuya finally asked, resting a hand on the bamboo mat at his side.

"Sure. It's only fair." Nyruki said with a shrug.

"Why did you ask what I fear?"

Nyruki's eyes shot open wide, as that had been the question she had asked when he was still under her control. She hadn't thought he had heard her and it was a complete shock that he had.

"Y-You heard me?" She managed to force through her throat.

Byakuya nodded, "Yes. It's part of why I started to question what I seeing. I heard your voice in my head."

"I-I... I didn't think you could." Nyruki gulped.

"To answer your question, I fear losing the very few things that I hold dear. It's not a large list, but a list I'm not willing to part with. I would give up my life if it meant keeping Rukia safe." Byakuya said.

"I actually didn't expect to hear that from you." Nyruki said, finding that the only real action she could take was to release a sigh.

"I know. It's not a side that is often seen, but the situation warranted revealing it to you. Above all, a captain is a teacher." Byakuya said, his stone expression much softer than the hard gaze he usually maintained.

"I think I have more experience in that than anybody." Nyruki sighed again.

Byakuya nodded, "Captain Ukitake is one of the best. He uses kindness and understanding to teach his wisdom, where as Kenpachi teaches through brute force. His methods are crude and barbaric, but at the root of it, there is something to be learned."

"I see. And how do you teach?" Nyruki asked.

"My methods, at first, don't tend to make sense until my subordinates realize my meaning on their own. I make them look within themselves to learn. It's a more difficult method, but it has proved affective. Just look at my Lieutenant." Byakuya said evenly.

Nyruki sat up straighter, "Renji? Really?"

Byakuya nodded, "Yes. He's always had an undiluted desire to surpass me and that has solely driven him for quite a long time. He's been gunning for me for decades and I suspect it has something to do with my adoption of Rukia as my sister."

"I see." Nyruki mumbled.

"Rukia and Renji have been life long friends. They grew up together in the 78th district of the Southern Rukongai. Renji feels as if I stole her from him and in a way, he's right. He believes he has something to prove and he will do whatever it takes to do it. He's reaching for the moon and one day, he will grasp it." Byakuya explained.

"Has he improved since being your lieutenant?" Nyruki asked.

"Yes. By a great deal, in fact. His hot-headedness has actually calmed a bit. He's more level headed than he was when he first came to Squad 6." Byakuya said with a nod and eyes turned down towards the bamboo mat.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Nyruki huffed a laugh.

"Don't misinterpret, he's still a hot-head, but a hot-head with some self-control." Byakuya said as he turned his eyes to his hands.

"At least it's progress."

That word seemed to be an enigma to Nyruki. They had worked so hard, worked with threat of injury every night for nearly a week and they had yet to gain any ground. She was worried that she wasn't going to be able to meet the Head-Captain's demands and she was truly at a loss. She needed to talk with the one man in the room whom had filled a role she had thought gone forever, seeking his wisdom with the simple hope that he could point her in the right direction.

Captain Jūshirō Ukitake.

* * *

The storm had been fiercer than anyone had thought. The sheer amount of rain had flooded the sewers of the Seireitei, so much so that some of the lower level drains had been completely submerged. There was minor damage with the most serious being a few broken windows over at the Squad 4 medical facility which had already been fixed.

With the sun resuming its place in the sky to help dry away the wetness, Nyruki strolled the streets on her way to the Squad 13 barracks. She knew, without even seeing, how to get there and she knew exactly what pair of doors to look for.

At times, she missed it. She missed being under Captain Ukitake, missed his encouraging words that never failed to help her feel better and that is exactly what she was looking for.

She arrived at the Squad 13 barracks to large wooden gates that were propped open wide. She smiled, as that was typical for Squad 13. Captain Ukitake had always had an open door policy.

She strolled through her previous squad's grounds, saying hello to friends and smiling as she made her way to the Captain's office that was towards the back of Squad 13 territory.

At the small pagoda with the wooden doors etched with the silhouette of a Snowdrop, she softly knocked out of respect for the Captain that was soon met with a muffled enter.

"Captain? It's me." Nyruki said as she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The office was a decent size with a large open window that faced most of the day's sun to swallow up its heat. It was open to allow the humid breeze to blow through, which softly rustled the papers on the lone wooden desk whose chair was occupied.

"Good afternoon, Flower. How are you feeling?" Captain Ukitake smiled as he rose from his chair and went to give her a welcoming hug.

"Good afternoon, Papa. I'm doing well, just tired." She said as she returned the embrace.

"So are we all." Ukitake said, unwrapping her from his arms and leading her to a small corner table set with two place settings.

"Were you expecting someone?" Nyruki asked.

"No, but I always keep it set for two in case Shunsui drops by, which usually ends up being the case." Ukitake said, still with that ever present and comforting smile on his face as he sat down.

"I know," Nyruki smiled, "Do you have some time to talk?" She added after a short moment.

"Of course!" Ukitake beamed, pouring a cup of tea for her.

Nyruki sat down and happily sipped the delightful tea, "I was hoping for some words of encouragement. I'm really at a loss on what to do to help the training come along. No one has gotten any closer to breaking free and the only one who almost had it, was Captain Kuchiki." She set down her teacup.

"Do you feel like we should take a different approach?" Asked Ukitake, his long fingers wrapped around his cup to absorb its warmth.

"I think so, Papa. Just throwing you all into your illusions and hoping you'll swim doesn't seem to be working." Nyruki said with another sip.

"Alright. What do you suggest?" Ukitake asked.

"Well, I've really been working with Kibōyūwaku and I think that, maybe, I have an idea, but I wanted to ask you about it first." Nyruki said, helping herself to a tea cake from the plate at the center of the table.

"Alright. I'll do my best." Ukitake smiled.

"What if we all joined into the same illusion?" Nyruki asked bluntly.

Ukitake's smile faded, "We can do that? But is that... um... wise?" His upper cheeks softly colored pink that Nyruki caught sight of.

"Relax, Papa. It's not as you think. We would all be drawn into a neutral illusion, most likely being my inner world. We'll be faced with our desires, but I can help you all learn how to break free because I'll be there to teach you." Nyruki said, washing down the tea cake with a modest sip of tea.

"Ah. Like a classroom setting. I suppose it's a sound idea, but I do have concerns stemming from the nature of your Zanpakutō's abilities. I can only speak for my own, but the others' desires could be... well... You get the idea." Ukitake said, rubbing the back of his neck with a darkening of the blush in his pale cheeks.

Nyruki nodded, "I won't lie, Papa. It's a risk, but with only three weeks left until my deadline... I don't think we have much choice."

"I suppose that's true. The problem I see is getting the other captains to agree to this. This could be very... Oh how do I put it... intimate." Ukitake said, blowing out what was clearly a slightly nervous and embarrassed breath.

"I know, Papa. That's why I wanted your advice." Nyruki said as the supple heat of her own blush began to rise in her cheeks.

"My advice? Well, I suppose it's worth a shot, but it's as I said. The hardest part is going to be able to convince the other captains to submit to such an idea. We're dealing with desire here and desire can be a very dark road to travel." Ukitake said, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"It can't be any darker than what I've already seen, Papa. You forgot that I saw all of your desires when we first started this." Nyruki said, returning to her tea.

"That's right, you have. I hope none of mine have embarrassed you too badly." Ukitake said softly.

"Papa, wanting to pass surrounded by loved ones isn't anything to be embarrassed about. It's a dream." Nyruki said, providing a sweet smile to ease their discomfort.

Ukitake returned the smile and placed his larger hand on her shoulder, "Thank you, Flower. If you think this will be a better course of action, than I will trust you. Is there anything you need me to do?" He took his hand back and returned it to his cup.

"I hate to ask, Papa, but could you brief the others before this evening? It'll help save time I think." Nyruki said, finishing her tea.

"I will do that, Nyruki." Ukitake smiled.

"I owe you, Papa. In the meantime, I'm going to work more with Kibōyūwaku and, if I'm lucky, gain audience with the Head-Captain because I'm getting very concerned that Captain Kurotsuchi hasn't attended any of the training." Nyruki said, her smile gone as she stared at her empty cup.

Ukitake reached for the teapot and refilled it, "That is a concern you do not share alone, Flower. I will go with you to meet with the Head-Captain."

"W-What? Papa, you surely don't have to." Nyruki softly gasped.

"Nonsense. With me accompanying you, the Head-Captain is more likely to grant audience sooner, rather than later." Ukitake said, gently setting the teapot back down on the table.

"That's probably true." Nyruki nodded before indulging in more of the Captain's top shelf quality tea.

"It is true. Come now... With the sun beginning to descend, we don't have much time. I'll just send the Hell Butterfly and we can be off." Ukitake said as his smile returned and he rose to his feet.

Nyruki, with a bit of a grimace, gulped down the fresh cup of tea, as she didn't want to let it go to waste. He had always had such amazing taste in tea and it would be a crying shame to let it get cold.

The pair emerged out into the post-storm air, both with hands clasped behind their backs as Ukitake summoned the small, black creature to carry the message to the other captains. The tiny obsidian bug fluttered up from his long finger and rose into the sky after his lips had finished moving, and then they set off towards the towers of Squad 1.

It was short trek, as the barracks of Squad 1 were very much near Squad 13, so it was only a few minutes before they reached the large gate. They stepped through without question and headed upwards, Nyruki following Captain Ukitake since he was far more proficient with which way to go than her. It wasn't long until they stepped into the Head-Captain's office, where Captain Ukitake only have to announce himself before being granted access and that is when Nyruki got one of the best views available in the whole of the Seireitei.

As Nyruki stepped over the threshold, just a half step behind Ukitake, she couldn't help but admire the superb view of the Seireitei from the balcony that served to be the entire outside wall. It was a view that nearly took her breath away, and she thought it would be better suited on the top of a meadowy hill than from the Head-Captain's office. Nevertheless, it was a spectacular view and she paid it a soft smile as it's due.

As much as she wanted to continue admiring the view, she knew she had to pay attention to the meeting at hand which Captain Ukitake started.

"Good afternoon, Sensai. Thank you for granting me audience." Ukitake said with a shallow bow of his head that Nyruki copied.

"For one of my oldest students, it seemed like a pertinent decision." Head-Captain Yamamoto said gruffly, seated at his desk.

"I come to you with a growing concern regarding one of the captains." Ukitake said, letting his arms hang motionless at his sides.

"Which one?"

"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He has yet to attend training with Ms. Nyruki Sawada and we fear that his absence could result in the failure for her to complete her given tasks." Ukitake said elegantly, his voice soothing to Nyruki's nerves. She was always nervous when near such higher ranking persons.

"I see. He's missed all of them?" Head-Captain Yamamoto asked.

"Yes, Sensai. A number of us have brought up our concerns to him directly, but he simply refutes that he is too busy to attend." Ukitake said.

"I see."

"Head-Captain, if I may?" Nyruki asked, taking a step forward so that she wasn't half shielded by the much taller Captain.

"Go ahead."

"To date, none of the captains have broken free, save for a near success by Captain Kuchiki and it has taken this long to get to that point. I know that this may not be my place to make such a request, but perhaps there is... um... perhaps you can-" Nyruki's voice trailed off.

"Spit it out, girl."

"She means to make the request that the Head-Captain formally order the Captain of Squad 12 to attend these trainings." Ukitake said, coming to her rescue.

Nyruki sent him a thankful smile, "Yes. That's exactly what I mean."

"I see. Which captains have expressed their concerns?" Asked Head-Captain Yamamoto.

"Myself, Captain Shunsui Kyōraku and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki have all expressed direct concern." Ukitake said.

"I see. I shall look into the matter. Dismissed." The Head-Captain said.

Both Captain Ukitake and Nyruki bowed before they spun and left the office, heading back the way they had come. But as they walked, Ukitake noticed how her mood had shifted. She had resolved herself to look down at the stone streets as they walked and her eyes were blind to their pattern which told him she was inside her own head.

"Is there something bothering you?" Ukitake asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he slowed their pace to a leisurely stroll.

"Hmm? Oh... Just... Just thinking is all, Papa." Nyruki said, having only caught his glance for a moment before turning her eyes back to the stone.

"About?"

"Just... There's something I'm not sure about. It's just odd." Nyruki said, hoping to buy her another moment to think.

"I can't help if I don't know what it is, Flower." Ukitake smiled.

"At our last training session, something Captain Kuchiki said stuck in my head." Nyruki said, instantly remembering the previous night's training.

"I remember you saying he nearly broke free. That man's mental capacities are astounding, for sure." Ukitake said.

"Yes, that's true, but let me ask you this, Papa... Did you hear a voice in your head when you were under my control?" Nyruki asked, finally able to look up from the stone to his eyes.

"A voice? Such as?"

"Well, Captain Kuchiki said he heard my voice in his head. He says that's why he started to question the illusions. He had heard my voice." Nyruki said as she looked ahead.

"Huh... I heard no such voice, Flower. Should I have?" Ukitake asked.

"I had spoken to you. I was checking your breathing and I had commented that it was normal." Nyruki said, glancing back up at him for a moment.

"I see. I did not hear your words, Flower. I'm sorry." Ukitake said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Papa. I thought I'd ask. I just thought it weird that Captain Kuchiki heard me, but you hadn't." Nyruki said.

"Perhaps you'll be rewarded with an answer once he manages to break free," He smiled and took his hand back, "You check on me while we train?" He added after a moment.

"Of course! I don't want any harm to come to you because of this. To any of the captains for that matter." Nyruki said, crossing her arms loosely.

"Well, thank you. I feel safer knowing you're there watching over me. Makes me think you care about me." Ukitake beamed with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Of course I do, Papa! You've always shown me kindness and even provided a roof over my head for a while. I'll never forget how much I owe you." Nyruki returned the smile.

"You don't owe me anything, Flower." Ukitake said with the slightest softening in his smile.

"But I feel I do. It's my choice." Nyruki said.

"I know there's no beating that indestructible determination of yours, so I'll just accept it. Seems I made an impression." Ukitake said, resting a hand on the back of his neck.

"A girl never forgets her first captain, Papa." Nyruki snickered.

"Ha! That's true. I suppose that's why you came to me instead of going to your current captain?" Ukitake asked, removing his hand to let his arm fall back to his side.

"He's only been my captain for a week! I mean, he's kind of intimidating to talk to because he just doesn't express. I'm having trouble pegging him." Nyruki said, allowing her smile to relax.

"Byakuya is a difficult man to understand. He tends to keep people an arm's length away, save for a few select whom have managed to get passed the wall." Ukitake said.

"It seems once you get him talking, the conversation flows without much trouble. Last night we talked at length." Nyruki said, scuffing her foot against the stone.

"Really? Well done. It's good for him to open up every now and again. Ever since his parents died, Shunsui and I have tried to keep an eye on him." Ukitake said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"How old was he if I can ask?" Nyruki asked.

"Just a boy. Not dissimilar from you in that regard." Ukitake said.

"It's hard. It took a lot of effort not to just collapse in on myself after my father died." Nyruki said with a twitch of a smile that near as instantly faded.

"I bet. If you ask me, you turned out just fine, Flower." Ukitake said with a happy smile. The man was full of them.

Nyruki's cheeks heated with a soft blush, "Thank you, Papa. A lot of it I can attribute to you. You've really helped fill that void in my heart."

Ukitake's smile, if one could believe it, widened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and he placed a soft kiss to her hair.

"It was my pleasure, Flower." He said before taking back his arm.

"Hey! I want a hug too!" Came a deep voice from behind them.

Nyruki and Ukitake stopped their walk to turn around and neither were surprised that the comment was made by Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, with a scruffy smile across his hat shielded face.

"Hello, Shunsui. I take it you got my message?" Ukitake asked.

"I did. Should be interesting to say the least." Kyōraku said as he clapped a hand onto his best friend's back.

"Yeah, but it might help." Nyruki said with a half shrug.

"You two have something to eat yet? I figured we could go snag something before heading to Kuchiki's." Kyōraku said, his eyes bouncing between the two of them.

"We have not. That sounds like a good idea. It should help clear our heads before this." Ukitake beamed.

"How about it, Nyruki? You coming?" Kyōraku asked, smiling.

"Oh? Um... Yeah. I'll go. Just us three?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck, but making it look like a scratch instead.

"I somehow managed to convince my Nanao-chan to join us. Don't ask me how, but I did." Kyōraku said with a mildly confused look on his face.

"You did? I never thought I'd live to see the day." Ukitake said, scratching his cheek.

"Neither did I." Kyōraku quipped.

"You bribed her didn't you." Nyruki deadpanned.

"Yes! I bribed her with that I would actually do my paperwork if she went!" Kyōraku cried as he hid his face in his hands.

Both Ukitake and Nyruki laughed.

"You're hopeless." They both said.

* * *

Their meal had gone wonderfully, and Nyruki was glad that she was given the chance to relax and enjoy some rather lovely food and drink before it was time for their training. They had passed the time with light, often funny conversation until their meal was finished and the time had come to go to the Kuchiki estate.

The sun danced at the edges of the horizon, casting the sky into long sweeps of pinks and blues. It was warm, but was complimented with a nice soft breeze that was just cool enough to kiss the skin. Overall, it was a wonderful evening at first glance.

The three arrived at the Kuchiki estate and were allowed inside by the aged attendant they had all come to be acquainted with. The garden was in its typical form, with the added snowy dusting of cherry blossoms as they fell from the trees in earnest. The most beautiful two weeks of the year if you asked her.

The attendant led them to the training room where Byakuya Kuchiki, accompanied with the rest of the captains, whom had all just arrived only moments before them, sat at the table enjoying a cup of tea as they waited. Again, there was still one missing.

"He's still not here? I'm about to pummel that blueberry." Nyruki grumbled, not realizing that she had said it out loud for the captains to hear.

"Do it. Please do it." Kenpachi smiled with a big, creepy and toothy grin.

Nyruki softly blushed, "I'd rather not make it a habit of beating the snot out of captains." She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"I would laugh my ass off if you do it. I'll pay you." Kenpachi goaded, still grinning.

Nyruki's blush grew, "I think I'll just make one of you do it." She briefed a short lived smile.

"Ha! That's the spirit! Hell, you could turn all of us and use us to beat his ass." Kyōraku laughed, still with a bit of the pinkness in his cheeks from drinking at supper.

Nyruki smiled for a moment before stepping into the center of the familiar circle where all the captains had taken their usual places.

"I assume you all got Captain Ukitake's message earlier today?" Nyruki started, earning the eyes of them all.

"We did. I think it'll probably help, but I'm concerned with what we'll see." Said Soi-Fon, crossing her arms.

"That seems to be the running concern. Luckily, I conveyed this concern to Kibōyūwaku before broaching the subject with Captain Ukitake and she's agreed to keep anonymity should it be needed. No one will know whose desire belongs to whom." Nyruki said with confidence, having gotten used to addressing the captains by now.

The captains all glanced at each other for a few moments, save for the captain of Squad 6, whom just looked at the floor in his typical silence.

"That is sufficient. Kibōyūwaku has kept her word to this point. I see no reason to question her now." Byakuya said, never taking his eyes from the floor.

"And plus, with Nyruki in control, she'll make sure that the promise is kept." Ukitake added.

"I suppose." Soi-Fon said softly.

As Nyruki released a soft sigh that was accompanied with an equally soft smile, the door to the training room opened, drawing their attention with the arrival of an unexpected guest.

To all their surprise, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi entered with an unamused expression across his painted face and closed the door behind him without even so much as a hello.

"My my my... The blue mane finally appeared." Kyōraku said as he took his hat off and set it down next to him on the floor.

"I was ordered to by the Head-Captain. How many times do I have to tell you people that I'm busy?" Kurotsuchi grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"This training is mandatory, Captain Kurotsuchi. You should have made the time." Byakuya said, finally tearing his eyes away from the floor to glare at the last captain.

"Hmm... It's not like I needed to attend. I've been researching the data from your training sessions the entire time." Kurotsuchi admitted.

"Excuse me?" Ukitake's black eyebrows drew down hard.

"What? You didn't expect me to pass up this opportunity did you?" Kurotsuchi said, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

"And exactly how have you been gathering this data if you haven't been here?" Kyōraku asked, copying Ukitake's expression.

"Microscopic data analyzers, of course. They were in your tea." Kurotsuchi grinned.

"What!" All the captains barked.

"The results have been astounding! There's been so much to go through that I just haven't had time to spare." Kurotsuchi shrugged again.

"You are an offensive individual, Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Byakuya said lowly with the barest of irritated twitching in his eyes.

"If you would have just come to these sessions, you wouldn't have needed to invade our privacy!" Ukitake said with an uncharacteristic scowl.

"Nonsense. There is no such thing as privacy when it comes to gathering valuable data." Kurotsuchi said as he simply looked away and up as if he was better.

Out of nowhere, a concentrated ball of mist rammed into the painted captain's face with enough force to cause him to stumble backwards. He barely caught himself from falling back into the door, but just as quickly, he froze and simply stood with dull, lifeless and sickly yellow eyes.

A bit shocked, the captains turned there attention to Nyruki, whom simply held a blade-less handle and stood with one eye crimson, and one eye gold in the center of their circle with an angry sneer across her face.

"Pull your Zanpakutō from your obi, put it against the wall and sit your ass down." She ordered harshly through barely gritted teeth.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi did as ordered and pulled his sword, still sheathed, and set it against the wall with the others. Every set of eyes watched him as he simply padded around the circle to a spot that had opened up and sat, cross legged, with his boney elbows resting against his knees like a child whom had just been scalded.

"As vial as the day I met you." Nyruki growled with a shudder rattling through her spine.

"Well, now he doesn't have a choice." Kyōraku said with a pleased grin.

"He never should have been given one to begin with." Ukitake said with an irritated huff through his nose that flared his nostrils.

"Shall we begin, Nyruki?" Byakuya asked, breaking the tension by shifting their focus to the task at hand.

With a simple nod, Nyruki brought the handle of her Zanpakutō to her lips, and locked gazes with her Captain.

"Ban... kai; Shin Kibōyūwaku."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Her inner world. She had brought them all to her inner world. They stood in a group amongst the trees, cast in a forever twilight. The trees were immense, towering over them like an army of giants and with gnarled branches that stretched out like broken old fingers. The sky was a cloudy sepia, with ghostly clouds blanketing its entirety and drowning the trees in eternal shadow until they were monolithic silhouettes of blackness. The air was serenely warm, bathing them all a scentless, tasteless breeze that was barely strong enough to sway the gnarled branches over their heads.

She called it the Twilight Forest.

"Welcome to my inner world." Nyruki said softly as she rested a hand on the trunk of a gargantuan tree, feeling the hidden roughness of bark against her palm.

"This goes on forever." Ukitake exhaled, just trying to comprehend the vastness of it all.

"As far as my mind wills it." Nyruki said.

"It's oddly... serene." Kyōraku said as he too placed a palm on a nearby, much smaller tree.

"It is. It wasn't hard to learn Bankai here." Nyruki said, taking her hand back.

"I'd imagine not. The vastness of this is ideal for such learnings." Captain Unohana said.

"I agree, though the trees tend to be a problem sometimes." Nyruki said as she looked at the dirt covered ground beneath her feet.

"Welcome to my domain." Came a sultry, slightly deeper voice from behind one of the massive trees nearby.

The group all turned their heads to the voice's owner as she stepped out from behind her vail. She held a remarkable resemblance to Nyruki, save for her crimson eyes and fuller lips with long, entirely black hair that fell free of any restraints. She wore a simple sleeveless gown of crimson that danced around her bare feet, with a deep V neckline that dove to her naval and long slit that crept up her right thigh.

"The spirit of Kibōyūwaku." Byakuya said softly as he drew in a long breath and clasped his hands behind his back.

"You would be correct, my dear." She bowed her head.

"Good evening, Kibōyūwaku." Nyruki said with a shallow bow.

"Good evening, my Princess. I wasn't expecting them to agree to this." Kibōyūwaku said, returning the bow.

"It seemed like a pertinent idea to help give us a better understanding of your abilities." Ukitake said, his eyes never moving from the woman as she came to stand next to Nyruki.

"And I agree. You all have come a long way believe it, or not, but you need just a bit more help to push you over the edge." Said Kibōyūwaku, her eyes partially lidded to give her a sultry bedroom gaze.

"How is this going to work?" Asked Sajin Komamura, finding himself under the soft gaze of the woman spirit.

"As promised, I will keep to anonymity. There will be no indication of whose desire I show." She said with a sweet smile across her plump, red painted lips.

"And we can trust you?" Asked Soi-Fon, crossing her arms as usual.

"I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

"Then we should begin. There isn't much time to waste." Ukitake said, drawing in a breath that Nyruki caught as nervous.

"Very well," She took in a breath, "At this very moment, I can see all your desires and what lies within your hearts. I feel it, sense it. Every single one of you are wrapped around desires of the heart." Kibōyūwaku said, her voice airy and mystical as she stepped around Nyruki in a slow circle before stopping once more at her side a few feet away.

"Desires of the heart are the hardest to break from because they show you the root of your desires. They are seated in the depths of your soul and act as anchors." Nyruki said as Kibōyūwaku waved a hand out in front of her.

The action caused an inky swirl of black to form in front of them, swirling and darkening as if it were a worsening storm. It grew and shaped as it swirled, taking on the shape of a person and with a single flight of the spirit's hand once more, the inky black shadow erupted like ash blown in a wind, leaving behind a visage of one such desire that earned a gasp from the every single throat; Including Nyruki's.

"W-What?" Ukitake breathed as he stared at the unmoving visage of the woman that had appeared.

Nyruki's eyes had gone wide, as the image was certainly not what she was expecting to see, especially since it was an image of a desire of the heart. She silently told herself that a desire of the heart could be anything; A loved one that someone regarded as family, a daughter, or a son, but it didn't explain the white gown the image wore. It was too intimate, the hair too elegant to be considered anything other than an image of a lover.

"It appears one of you has a secret." Kibōyūwaku sang soothingly as she plucked a long flowing lock of black hair from the image's shoulder.

Nyruki forced herself to stay calm as she crossed her arms self consciously and shifted her eyes over the crowd in a hurry. There was a pain in her chest, but she needed to ignore it and proceed.

With a gulp, she continued.

"A desire of the heart can be several things. It can be family, friends... or lovers." Nyruki said, ignoring the nervous pang in her stomach as she spoke.

"This particular desire of the heart, is the desire for a lover. She's a recent one. A fledging desire only born a few nights ago, but it is there, seated behind other desires." Kibōyūwaku said, playing with the image's obsidian hair with both delicate hands.

Nyruki gulped, "There's only one way to break from a desire of the heart like this, and that's to be rid of them. You have to realize that the image you're seeing isn't the real source of your desires."

"You mean to-" Ukitake exhaled, his shock still clear in his features.

Nyruki nodded, "I'm afraid so. Desires of the heart are deep seated roots that wrap around your very being. They are the strongest of anchors and the only way to break free of those roots, is to cut them. Think of it this way; You're standing in front of a mirror and you see the reflection of what you desire most. How do you get rid of the reflection?" She asked as she slowly blew out a slow breath to settle her twisting stomach.

"You break the mirror." Ukitake exhaled.

Suddenly, a thin blade burst from the image's chest, spraying black all over the white gown the image wore. Their golden eyes filled with tears and pain as she dropped to her knees with mouth agape in breathlessness as the sword slid from her body. She collapsed to the ground onto her back, seemingly dead at Kibōyūwaku's feet, whose elegant hand held a simple silver blade whose handle was shrouded in an inky cloud.

Laying before them, in a stained gown of white that was identical to the crimson one worn by Kibōyūwaku, was a perfect image of Nyruki Sawada.

As her image lay on the dull dirt, eyes now void of that sparkle of life, Nyruki softly cupped a hand over her mouth and looked away. It was hard to see one's self laying dead, freshly killed right in front of her, and she opted to look at the captains, which wasn't much better.

They all appeared a bit shocked, save for Mayuri Kurotsuchi who was simply staring from his spot in the back of the group. The others had managed to keep their expressions under control, for the most part, except for Captain Ukitake, who couldn't seem to look at the image of the murdered Nyruki. His eyes were unseeing, shaking even and his arms were wrapped around his torso as if he was holding himself together. He had the air about him of a father having just been told his child was killed.

"Unfortunately, all of you possess a desire of the heart... save for you." Kibōyūwaku said softly as the silver blade disappeared in the same inky swirls that the visage had appeared.

She stepped away from Nyruki's side and approached the group of captains. They parted as she walked passed them and came to stand in front of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Who are you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.

"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Captain of the 12th Division and head of the Department of Research and Development." He said without changing his rather creepy expression, staring at the spirit with unblinking eyes.

"I see. Oh, I remember you now... From the Head-Captain's office. I passed on turning you." Kibōyūwaku said as she began to step around him, examining him as if he were an animal up for purchase.

No one spoke. They simply watched.

"Even now, I can sense your desires and they are... rather simple." She said.

"Simple?" Kurotsuchi reeled.

"Quite. They belong to a man with a singular focus, whose sole desire is to gain knowledge through science and you do not care how you get it. The ends justify the means. You invaded your colleagues inner space without their knowledge simply to garnish data for your own gains." She said, flighting a hand over his chest to dust over his captain's haori.

"The data I acquired is invaluable. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again." Kurotsuchi said, crossing his arms in irritation.

"Oh, believe me, I know, Captain. But here's where in lies my problem. You invaded my master and that, I attest." She said, her sultry smile giving way to a scowl.

Kurotsuchi's painted brow line drew down hard over his sickly yellow eyes, "How you feel is none of my concern."

Her scowl worsened as she put an open hand over Kurotsuchi's face and thrust backwards, tossing him with ease to the still dirt.

"You, I have no problems embarrassing. All these others, they have a certain amount of respect, even the one who possesses that delicate image." Kibōyūwaku growled as she stepped back through the crowd and extended a hand towards the image's dead body.

"Easy... We aren't hear to make enemies, Kibō." Nyruki said, her arms still loosely crossed over her chest.

"A little humility never hurts." The spirit snarled with a snap of her elegant fingers.

A strong breeze suddenly blew through the Twilight Forest, billowing clothes and hair and kicking up clouds of dull dust. They covered their faces from the gritty assault as the gust blew through, rustling branches and howling in their ears like an army of nearby Hollow.

Just as suddenly as the wind had come, the ground began to shake with a low, surrounding rumble that came from every direction. It quaked beneath their feet as the rumbling deepened, sounding like cracking stone and splitting earth that was so guttural, so absolutely, that the sound could only be produced by Earth itself.

"What's going on?" Ukitake gasped as he widened his stance to stabilize himself against the shaking.

"There!" Komamura snapped as he pointed into the distance.

The ground shook harder as a tower began to rise just before the cusp of the horizon. It was a mutilated tower that was topped high with smoke stacks and pipes that billowed massive plumes of thick black smoke into the air. It kept rising into the twilight sky, soon followed by an army of smaller towers that surrounded the main structure, but something was too familiar about the towers and the flat topped rock that was crumbling behind them instantly proved to them all that they very much knew the image in front of them.

"That's... T-That's." Ukitake stuttered with eyes unable to tear away from the sight.

"This way." Nyruki said with a flash step.

She near instantly appeared high in the branches above, bringing her sight above the tree line. The captains followed, all claiming their own thick branches to get a full glimpse of the rising image that rose from the sundered ground.

Laying before them, covered in hazy smoke and ruins, was the Seireitei, having been destroyed and converted into a facility for science. Everywhere they looked, tubes filled with colored liquid sprouted from the ground and ran along the ruined streets to the central towers that were Squad 1. The Seireitei had been lost and turned into a giant laboratory.

"This is what your dear Captain of Squad 12 wants. This is what he desires." Kibōyūwaku hissed from her tree branch not far from Nyruki's.

"To assume control of the Seireitei and use it for his own gains. Somehow I am not surprised." Byakuya said, shifting his silver gaze to that very captain, laced with a harsher scowl than he usually wore.

"It's... It's magnificent!" Kurotsuchi replied, his eyes wild and untamed.

Nyruki's eyes narrowed, but they went instantly wide when Mayuri Kurotsuchi vanished, only to reappear several trees ahead before doing it again as he headed straight for the defiled Seireitei.

"Damn... We have to go get him." Nyruki frowned.

"This isn't good, is it, Nyruki." Kyōraku asked, having flash stepped onto her branch.

"Not even a little bit." Nyruki grumbled before looking up to Kibōyūwaku, "Can you sense him still?" She asked.

"Yes, but-" The spirit said with her crimson eyes turned down.

"What's wrong?" Nyruki asked.

"I'm not sure. We should hurry." She said, shaking her head.

"Why not just make the image go away?" Ukitake asked from his nearby branch.

"Look to the ground, Captain." Kibōyūwaku said without taking her eyes away from the ruins.

Not just Ukitake, but Kyōraku, Byakuya and the others all looked to the ground where they saw the dead body of the Nyruki image still laying on the ground with eyes frozen wide. She hadn't vanished the same way she appeared like the others had somehow thought she would.

"She's still there." Ukitake said ultra softly.

"The image is apart of one of you. I merely manifest it and show you what's in your heart." Said Kibōyūwaku, finally looking away from the ruins to regard at the captains.

"It's linked to our souls." Byakuya said, flashing to the same branch as Nyruki and Kyōraku, not worried about weight as the branch was a trunk in its own right.

"Exactly." The spirit said.

"But you killed the image. What happens to its owner if the desire is killed?" Ukitake asked, doing the same to occupy another spot on the same branch.

"Nothing. One does not die when they break the mirror they are looking into. At its base, it is just an image of your desires, a copy that I make to show you. The original desire, the source of that desire within your own soul, is what matters." The spirit said softly with a hand resting against the thick trunk of the tree she stood upon.

"So whomever has this desire for Nyruki, only they can make it vanish." Kyōraku said with a short lived glance at Nyruki, whose cheeks were painted a sharp red.

"Exactly. But I doubt that will happen as that would expose the owner of that desire." Said Kibōyūwaku.

Kyōraku clearly saw how uncomfortable Nyruki looked. Perhaps out of embarrassment, or uncertainty, he wasn't sure, but he decided it best to shift the conversation away from the poor thing.

"So what's going to happen if we don't retrieve him?" He asked, sending Nyruki a soft smile of reassurance, which she returned.

"He runs the risk of being lost to desire." Nyruki said with worry building in her chest.

"Even being in your inner world?" Ukitake asked, placing a hand on Nyruki's shoulder.

"Which makes it worse... Come on."

Before anymore questions could be asked, which she was sure there were lots, Nyruki flash stepped away to the next branch just up ahead. The captains followed suit until all were flying through the air, hopping from tree branch to tree branch on their way to where Kurotsuchi had so eagerly rushed into.

The closer they got, the more the air was seared with charcoal and chemicals, burning the sinuses with every breath. Several captains couldn't restrain the cough. None spoke as they traveled, only concentrated on reaching their next branch until they reached the edge of the Twilight Forest, having reached a massive clearing filled with the defiled Seireitei.

With one last flash step, the group reached the ground to get a true feel of the size of the construct in front of them.

"We are going to have a hell of a time finding him." Ukitake sighed as his shoulders sagged slightly at the thought of it.

"Perhaps we should consider splitting up into teams to search. We will be able to cover more ground that way." Said Captain Unohana without her usually pleased expression in her eyes.

"I agree." Byakuya said.

Nyruki softly gulped, but nodded, "Teams of two."

It didn't take words for the group to pair off and head in different directions. Kibōyūwaku headed straight for the main tower with Hitsugaya close behind while Ukitake and Kyōraku had gone off to search in the direction of the great library. Komamura and Soi-Fon went off to search the streets, and Kenpachi and Unohana had gone to search the underground.

The last team, being Nyruki and Byakuya, went to search what would normally be Kurotsuchi's normal stomping ground; The Department of Research and Development.

As they walked through the streets, they found themselves stepping over crumpled rubble and pipes that vented noxious green gases into the air. The fumes smelled of rotten eggs and formaldehyde, and it caused Nyruki's nose to crinkle in disgust.

"This is disgusting." Nyruki groaned as she huffed the nauseating scent out of her nose.

"It is unpleasant, but not unexpected from Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Byakuya said, stepping over a small tube that bubbled with a fast moving white colored liquid.

"I'm not sure I wanna know what's going through his head." Nyruki said with a grimace, as a nearby vent hissed a puff of green into the air.

"It appears we're going to find out." Byakuya said.

With a preexisting knowledge of where to go, they soon found themselves standing outside of the Squad 12 facility and it was in a deplorable state. The main building was filled with holes that surrounded more tubes, all filled with bubbling liquids of different colors. Some had yellow, some had blue, but all ran a wild course towards the Squad 1 towers.

They squeezed through the small space between the ruined front gate and started for a large hole in a wall that would allow for entry into the facility, underneath a large tube filled with bubbling blue liquid.

Byakuya had entered first, having crouched low to crawl nearly on his belly beneath the tube, but as Nyruki followed behind, her long ponytail snagged on a rusty bolt sticking out from the steel connection ring that wrapped around the tube.

"Ow!" Nyruki hissed as she tried to get her hands out from underneath her to free herself, but there simply wasn't enough room to maneuver.

"Hold still." Byakuya said, kneeling down in front of her.

With deft fingers, Byakuya untangled her hair and pulled the long ponytail towards him to remove it from the cramped space so that it wouldn't get snagged anymore as she crawled.

"Thank you, Captain... Stupid hair." Nyruki grumbled to herself as she finished crawling out from underneath the tube.

"Kneel here. This should help to keep it from snagging again." He said as he pulled the tie free from her hair.

Nyruki tried not to smile, but it happened anyways as Byakuya ran his long fingers through her ebony locks to untangle the rats that the bolt had caused. His fingers scraped back along her scalp, pulling her lengthy bangs back into the fray before she felt him begin to thread pieces under and over each other, starting from the crown of her head and working his way down. In a matter of moments, he adeptly braided her hair into a neat french style and tied it snuggly at the end with her tie.

"I hope that is to your liking." Byakuya said as he rose to his feet and began to scan the dark hallway they now found themselves in.

Nyruki ran a hand back over her new braid and smiled a bit wider, "I'm impressed, Captain. Thank you."

"Of course." He nodded.

"Where'd you learn to braid?" Nyruki asked before she could think better of it, following him down the hallway in his chosen direction.

"My lieutenant taught me." Byakuya said with a glance out of the corner of his eye.

Nyruki's eyes reeled, "Really?" She tried not to gasp, but a bit came out anyways.

"I would not joke about something like that. Renji's hair is... just on this side of tamable. He has an ungodly amount of it and if he doesn't braid it at night, he'll wake up with an atrocious mess of red on top of his head that would take hours to comb smooth." Byakuya said, stepping over a fallen steel door that had been blown out from the inside.

"Seems kind of... Kind of... odd, to have your captain braid your hair for you on a regular basis." She blushed as she grabbed the long tail of hair of her own fresh braid self consciously.

"Perhaps it is my unspoken caring of Rukia that drives me, but she used to do it for him when they were growing up. Now that she lives at the estate, and he the barracks, it's much harder to continue that tradition between them. I assumed the role after one such morning he didn't have it braided and it was... offensive. It was a wild nest that actually pained me to look at." Byakuya said as he began to squint through the darkness.

"You helped him didn't you." Nyruki deadpanned.

"I was compelled to, it was that bad. Hours of conditioning and combing finally tamed that beast. Where mine is silken fine, but full, his is horse hair thick and equally so." Byakuya actually grumbled.

The light from the Twilight Forest was fading fast, so with a soft wording, Byakuya opened his fingers in a crescent shape and mumbled lowly in the dark.

"Hadō 31: Shakkahō." He said softly as a small ball of red began to build in his hand between his fingers and thumb.

The light from the spell illuminated the hallway, but it was weak, struggling to reveal a number of obstacles that they would have to climb over, which included a portion of the ceiling that had caved in and blocked the hallway.

"That's sorta better," Nyruki sighed, "So you couldn't take the crimson mess hmm?" She added after a moment with a soft chuckle in her throat, finding that the light conversation helped her to push passed her nerves at their growing situation.

Byakuya shook his head, "Not at all. One should take pride in their mane. That is why I agreed to braid it before leaving the barracks in the evenings."

Nyruki softly laughed again as they reached the portion of the downed ceiling and climbed over the rubble, having to pull themselves up to the second story since the rest of the hallway had been blocked off. Byakuya reached it first and turned around to help the shorter Nyruki by leaning down and grasping her hand.

"Thanks, Captain. I don't have the height to climb all this." Nyruki said, dusting herself off.

"Of course. Flash step would be difficult in such cramped and dark surroundings. In fact, it would be careless." Byakuya said as they started down the new dark hallway of the second story.

"One false step could prove bad." Nyruki scoffed quietly.

"Precisely. Especially since outside of my Shakkahō, it is still pitch dark." Byakuya said, pressing up against the wall to skirt around a large hole in the floor.

Their idle talk drew silent as they continued through the dark of the second story hallway, coming to a thick steel door that had been gouged open right through the center and curled outwards like a blooming flower.

Something had come out.

However, the hole in the door was too small for Byakuya to fit through with his larger frame, which left Nyruki the one to try and get to the other side so she could open the door.

"One moment. Let me see if there's anything on the other side." Byakuya said, placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying to get through the hole. He felt the slight flinch.

"Just be careful. This may be my inner world, but this is Captain Kurotsuchi's desire. Who knows what's crawling in there." Nyruki said with a visible shutter.

"I understand."

Byakuya drew in a long but silent breath as he stepped up to the door and leaned his head to the hole, holding the small ball of red light through to get some sort of idea of what lay beyond. However, it appeared to be a massive chamber, as passed the small field of red light, it was entirely black and the only object the small light could show was a grated catwalk just on the other side of the door.

"I'm afraid there isn't much to see. It appears to be a large chamber." Byakuya said as he stood up straight and took a step back away from the door.

"Alright. I'll open the door once I'm through." Nyruki said.

With her Captain's nod, Nyruki stepped up to the door and began the process of squeezing through. She first stepped her right leg through the hole before sliding her right shoulder into place. It was an incredibly tight fit, but thanks to her flexibility and extensive training, she was able to squeeze through without trouble, for the most part.

As she popped her hip through the hole, she straightened too soon to bring her upper arm in contact with a jagged edge of the metal which gouged a slice into her flesh that instantly bled.

"Damn it!" Nyruki growled as she briefly glanced at her wound in the extremely low light.

"What's wrong?" Byakuya's voice came through the hole, soon followed by the small ball of red light.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I just got cut by the door is all." Nyruki sighed before she turned her attention to opening the offending door.

She cranked over the deformed turning wheel, releasing the small army of prongs that held it closed and immediately swung it open with a resonating metal groan that echoed from every direction and ricocheted off the unseen chamber walls.

"Least the door still works." Nyruki grumbled as she inspected her wound more thoroughly, now that there was more light.

The door now open, Byakuya stepped through and took a cautionary look around before setting his eyes on the cut on Nyruki's arm. Even in the dull red light, he could see the thick lines of blood dripping down her arm and stretching down to her elbow

"Let me see it." Byakuya said as he grasped under her arm and brought the ball of light close to the wound.

Nyruki, for her part, just allowed him to look.

"Hmm... It appears to be just a surface wound. Healing Kidō is not my specialty, but it should be sufficient enough to control the bleeding." Byakuya said just before the red light went out.

They were immediately cast into an eternal blackness so complete, so surrounding that Nyruki couldn't see the man standing right next to her. The only thing present that told her she wasn't completely lost was the feel of his soft hand around her arm.

Only a moment passed before a soft blue light began to radiate from his open hand, only powerful enough to barely light their faces against the dark. The light felt warm against her skin, soothing as it licked away the sharp sting from the cut and she could see, barely, as the blood began to stop seeping from between the edges of flesh.

"That won't do much, Captain." Nyruki said softly, the darkness surrounding them consuming all other sound.

"Why not?" Byakuya asked with a soft furrowing in his brow.

"Kidō is much, much weaker here. Especially since you're in my inner world and doubly so that we're inside Captain Kurotsuchi's desire." Nyruki said as she pointed to her arm, which wasn't healing. It had only stopped bleeding.

The furrowing in Byakuya's brow hardened, "I see. That could prove problematic should one of us get hurt more severely than this. Captain Unohana will not be able to use her skills efficiently."

"See why we need to find the Captain?" Nyruki scoffed.

"Yes. At least the bleeding stopped. However, we should wrap this." Byakuya said, releasing her arm.

"It'll have to wait, Captain. No bandages." Nyruki said as the soft blue light winked out.

"Produce a controlled Shakkahō." Byakuya said.

With a nod, Nyruki did as told by her captain and opened her palm, producing a smaller, weaker light for Byakuya to work with. In the low red, he leaned over and grasped a fistful of his captain's haori, pulling the bottom up to his teeth where he grabbed its edge and pulled, tearing off a strip of the fabric the length of the entire bottom edge of the custom haori.

She remained silent as he wrapped the impromptu bandage around her arm with an edge printed with the pattern on every captain's haori and tied it with a small knot to keep it in place.

"Thank you, Captain... Again." Nyruki smiled for a moment as she let her Hadō spell wink out of existence.

Byakuya's much more controlled spell near immediately returned, "I imagine you would do the same for me."

"I would do my best, Captain. For all of the captains really." She said as they started to walk down the catwalk, hoping they picked the right direction.

"I see." Byakuya said.

Their hopes were rewarded with a set of stairs that lead down, but the soft red light was only powerful enough to light four steps in front of them. They carefully walked down with Byakuya in front, their backs to the wall, until the steps wouldn't allow them to go any further.

"What is it with all the climbing today?" Nyruki grumbled as she tried to peer down towards the floor to see how far it was.

"It would seem we are facing a bit. Stand back." Byakuya said.

He held his palm out and released his small Shakkahō, that popped weakly against the floor only five feet below the last stair and disappeared, casting the pair back in the eternal black void.

"Oh good. That's not too bad." Nyruki smiled.

Byakuya illuminated another small red ball and jumped down first, followed by Nyruki, whom had actually vaulted over the handrail in a backflip and landed on her feet beside him.

"You've been practicing." Byakuya said as they started to walk, realizing that the entire floor was one, giant metal grate over a chasm of blackness.

"Of course. I wasn't about to be left defenseless because of my fear of my Zanpakutō. If I wasn't gonna use my blade, I was gonna use close combat." Nyruki said.

"Wise decision. Are you still fearful of your power?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes. I'll always fear it, but now I have a respectful fear of it instead of a debilitating fear of it." Nyruki said as a thin outline of another door broke through the blackness.

They drew close, revealing that it was, indeed, another door, but this one hung by a singular hinge, having been ripped from the others by something with an incredible amount of strength.

"I'm not liking that all these doors are destroyed, Captain." Nyruki said as she yanked the door a bit to widen the space they could step through.

"Neither am I. Remain vigilant. I don't think we're alone in here." Byakuya said, stepping through first.

As Nyruki followed, a metal cling sounded through the silence as if it was a pop of thunder. The sudden sound scared them both with a jump as it echoed from every direction, bouncing around the walls like a bouncy ball and so quickly, that they couldn't pinpoint where the sound had originated from.

"What was that?" Nyruki gasped, her breath catching in her tightening throat as both froze solid.

"Proof that we aren't alone."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The echoing sound had seemingly lasted forever in its continued course around the chamber. Each echo was weaker than the last, but eventually, after several minutes, it finally stopped, only to be followed by a deep, guttural boom from the unknown depths of the chamber.

"Now I'm scared." Nyruki said as they both flattened themselves against the wall behind the ruined door.

However, Byakuya didn't answer as he held out his hand, still holding the small ball of light to see their new surroundings. They were in a long, stick straight corridor with high ceilings. The walls were cracked and broken, sprouting liquid filled tubes that all jutted out and disappeared into the unknown distance.

"These tubes lead somewhere. Perhaps if we follow them, we'll find Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Byakuya said as he began to walk once more.

"Sound idea... Not sure I wanna find what's at the end though." Nyruki said, following close behind.

"We either proceed, or risk facing whatever is in there and in our weakened state, I would prefer not to get into combat." Byakuya said simply.

"I agree, Captain." Nyruki sighed.

They continued to walk, stepping over more debris as they reached the first tube that was filled with icy blue liquid and it stormed through it in the same direction they were heading.

"Where is all this stuff coming from?" Nyruki asked as she dared to rest a hand on the clear glass of the tube, "It's freezing." She added lowly.

Byakuya stopped and glanced back over his shoulder at her. His curiosity was peaked, so he too, rested a palm on the tube.

However, the moment his hand made contact, he was suddenly awash with the weight of a spiritual pressure that was familiar. It was cold, icy even, laden with a strong sense of duty and a sheer desire to protect. He had felt this energy before, knew it well even, as it belonged to one of the captains.

"Captain Hitsugaya? This can't be right." Byakuya said quietly as he removed his hand.

"What?"

"This liquid is concentrated spirit energy, but it's been refined... Tainted somehow." Byakuya said, looking down the tube in the direction of the liquid's fast flow.

"So do we go with the flow, or against it?" Nyruki asked.

"With it. This has already been processed, so it must be headed to wherever the experiments are being conducted. That must be where Mayuri Kurotsuchi is." Byakuya said as he started walking again.

Nyruki sighed heavily as she followed, producing her own small ball of light to help keep an eye on behind them. She was nervous about what could have made the sound from earlier and she most certainly didn't want whatever it was to sneak up on them.

As they walked over more debris and crawled under more tubes filled with blue, they came upon another pair of tubes, these filled with yellow and red whose colors radiated in the darkness like a welcomed beacon through a dense fog.

Byakuya placed a hand on the tube of yellow, instantly recognizing it before doing the same with the red.

"These belong to Captains Kenpachi Zaraki and Sajin Komamura." Byakuya said, removing his hand from the red filled tube.

"Is Captain Kurotsuchi experimenting on all of you?" Nyruki asked, trying to hide the horrified thoughts from expressing on her face.

"It would appear that could be a possibility. These have all been refined. I wonder if the others have found something similar." Byakuya mused with a knuckle resting against his chin.

"I guess we'll see. If they have, we'll meet up with them sooner, or later." Nyruki said with a shrug.

The pair turned themselves to the side and started to scoot through the small space between the tubes. The bolts and spurs of metal reached for them, and several managed to find hold, but only of their clothes that snagged and instantly tore without so much as help from those wearing them.

On the other side of the tubes, a few more steps brought them to yet another door, but this one was fully intact and undamaged.

Byakuya grasped the wheel with his available hand and turned, unlocking the prongs and swinging the door open to bathe themselves, and the corridor, in light with a blast of cold air.

Allowing their small red lights to vanish, they stepped through the door into a massive processing facility with giant vats filled with the liquid of the three colors they had come across. They were being mixed, swirled, by giant augers as another tank, hanging from the ceiling, poured a foul smelling, but clear liquid into each vat.

Nyruki cringed as she pressed the back of her hand into her nose, "Holy hells... That's awful." She groaned and gulped, taking in the sight of the massive machines.

"This must be the processing plant. He's concentrating the energies here, or at least a portion of them." Byakuya said, following suit in covering his nose.

Nyruki eyeballed the tubes of already concentrated energy they had been following as they shot upwards through the ceiling and out of sight.

"There is seriously no rhyme or reason to the direction of these tubes. They just go wherever." Nyruki said, keeping her hand in place, which wasn't helping to keep away the stench of the chemicals.

"It does seem that way. Perhaps the liquid needs distance before being ready for whatever the experiment calls for." Byakuya said as he began to head for a catwalk that lead over the gargantuan open topped vats.

Nyruki kept close as she followed, "I guess. The tubes head up though, so maybe we should get to the roof to see where they go?" She suggested, peering down at the vats of swirling liquid that foamed and bubbled against the auger.

"Lets. This stench is going to give me a headache." Byakuya said bluntly.

They reached the other side of the suspended catwalk to a concrete platform whose edges were wrapped with a crumbling guardrail. Gouges had been carved out, evidence of a prior battle and stains of dried blood that had long since turned black peppered all around them. They walked towards a door at the other end of the platform, but the same deep, distant boom erupted like thunder from the clouds, stopping them in their tracks.

"We're being followed." Byakuya said, reaching for his Zanpakutō, only to gasp.

Hearing the sudden choke in his throat, Nyruki glanced at her Captain's hip where his hand hovered over where his sword should be, only to see nothing. They didn't have their Zanpakutōs.

"Son of a... I forgot we didn't have them on us." Nyruki scowled as she immediately began to look for something that could serve as a weapon.

"Would our Zanpakutōs abilities even function here?" Byakuya asked, dropping his hand.

"No. Mine would though, but she's off with Captain Hitsugaya helping to find this clown." Nyruki growled as she balled her fists out of frustration.

"This is a problem." Byakuya said.

"A big one-"

The sudden sound of tearing metal cut her off as the door they had been heading for began to peel like the rind of a ripened fruit. They caught glimpses of claws and gnarled skin the color of dull blue. Small hands and small arms clawed through the metal, but whomever they belonged to seemed small, almost child like as they tore through the metal with surprisingly little effort.

As they watched whatever it was tear the door apart, they stepped back with hearts racing. They were worried about what could possibly possess that kind of strength, worried at what was about to step through and when it did, it sucked the air straight from their lungs.

The creature before them was crouched like a predator on all fours with rapid red eyes and limp hair of white that hung to its shoulders. It snarled angrily at them, bearing sharpened teeth and clawed fingers tipped with razor sharp claws that dug into the concrete. His skin had shriveled into a dull blue hide, patched with areas of thin frost and ice that were marked with frozen cuts. A set of large icy wings on his back rose high above him, folded back against his sickly thin frame and a long, whip like tail snapped back and forth, gouging more marks into the concrete with the large ice spike at the end.

However, what truly caused their hearts to thunder in their chests, was this creature had the face of someone they knew and knew well.

Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

"By the gods... That madman fused him with his Zanpakutō!" Byakuya reeled, continuing to step back from the beast with the face of the young captain.

"This is bad. This is really bad." Nyruki gulped with a quivering voice.

The beast Hitsugaya crawled close, flapping his wings angrily and snarling and growling louder with long tendrils of saliva stemming from his peeled back lips.

"Run?" Nyruki asked with her eyes frozen open.

"Yes."

Not even a second passed by before they bolted back across the catwalk, their feet pounding against the metal, but it was nothing compared to the roar that the beast Hitsugaya produced from his thin throat.

It was a soul shattering sound, loud and shrieking as the beast leapt into the air with flapping icy wings. His tail whipped hard, slamming into the failing guardrail to knock off a large section from its old mountings and sent it plummeting to the concrete floor below with an equally as loud boom.

Byakuya and Nyruki both vaulted over the guardrail on the catwalk and used the side of the huge vat to slow their descent. As they fell, they looked up to see the swooping beast bank into a dive, sweeping his wings back against his thin body to accelerate to a frightening speed.

Their feet hit the floor in time for both to flash step away, darting behind the vat before they ran around towards a door at the far end of the facility. As they ran, Nyruki skidded to a halt when they approached the crumbled piece of guardrail that the beast Hitsugaya had knocked off and crouched down to pick up the longest intact piece.

"Here!" Nyruki called out, tossing the longest piece for him to catch.

Byakuya instantly stopped and spun around, catching the piece with one hand and spun it around his back with a blurring spin before slapping his other hand against it to halt it.

As Nyruki caught up, the beast swooped in to land with a skid behind her, digging his claws into the floor to stop his slide. His snarling and growling sharpened as more saliva dripped from his lips and he began to stalk towards them, ready to pounce. He had his pray cornered.

In a blinding flash step, Byakuya instantly appeared in front of Nyruki with the guardrail staff at the ready.

"Hold onto me." Byakuya ordered, never taking his silver eyes off the approaching beast.

"What?"

"Do it!"

Nyruki instantly stepped close and tightly grabbed onto his bicep with both hands. No sooner had she grabbed on, the beast sprung, reaching forward with claws ready to rend and tear. His teeth glistened with a seething hunger, stained with blood, and his eyes were wide with an unbridled fury.

But at the last second, Byakuya flash stepped away, bringing both of them behind the beast that was just landing from his lunge with claws digging into the concrete floor instead of flesh.

As the beast turned to run on all fours towards them, tail whipping and snapping, Byakuya ran forward and swung, slamming the guardrail staff into the beast Hitsugaya's side and sent him flying into the side of one of the vats.

Nyruki took the opening and sent a weakened Shakkahō racing into the beast that exploded with smoke and a loud blast that was far less than what it should be, so when the beast lunged from the cloud, neither were surprised.

As the beast flew towards Byakuya, he whipped his tail hard to toss spikes of ice that Byakuya dodged, flash stepping in rapid succession to avoid each projectile. Each spike smashed into the side of another vat, some embedding in the thick metal while others shattered into tiny crystals.

Once the barrage ended, Byakuya reappeared, this time on the side of the beast and swung again, but missed as the beast lunged upwards into the air with several powerful beats of his wings. However, as he rose out of reach, he again whipped his tail, but this time, the sharp spike of ice cracked against Byakuya's left shoulder.

With a red spray of mist, blood shot from the wound and Byakuya's shoulder dropped, but he soon regained his posture and powered through the wound. He leapt upwards, guardrail staff ready, but his leap was no match for the speed of a Sajō Sabaku that went flying by him with a scream.

The bands of glowing yellow chain wrapped around the tail and legs of the beast, stopping his assent dead as they yanked down hard to slam the beast straight into Byakuya. The sudden force brought them both crashing into the concrete floor with a quack that shot through the entire facility and a boom so tremendous that it hurt Nyruki's ears.

"Captain!" Nyruki called out as she released her spell and ran for the dust cloud the crash had caused.

She hadn't intended to slam the beast into her Captain, but it had happened anyways, as she wasn't as proficient at Bakudō as she was at Hadō. She couldn't control where the chains took her targets. She needed to practice and she was sure that her Captain was about to give her the scalding of a lifetime for having hit him with the icy beast. That's if he wasn't dead.

However, as the dust cleared, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Byakuya laying on his back with the guardrail staff still in hand and raised to the ceiling, still breathing and very much conscious. One end had been slammed hard into the concrete next to him, while the other had been thrust through the beast Hitsugaya's chest, just belong the sternum and protruded from his back between his flailing wings.

The beast squirmed and tried to reach for Byakuya, clawing and whipping his tail, but he was out of reach of the small hellion that thrashed for him. The beast snarled, growled, but the sound was pained, dying, with each one weaker than the last.

After a few moments, with black blood seeping from the wound to slowly crawl down the pipe, the beast Hitsugaya went limp, hanging lifelessly on top of the pole.

The threat gone, Nyruki began to breathe again and rushed to her captain's side.

"Are you alright, Captain? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you with him!" Nyruki pled as she helped Byakuya to his feet.

"It's alright. It was a good move and I took advantage of it." Byakuya said, his breathing slightly faster from the physical assertion of combat.

"We're at a huge disadvantage here, Captain. With limited power and no Zanpakutō, I just-" Nyruki started again, only to have her chin lightly cupped in a deceptively soft and gentle hand.

"I said, it's alright. I understand we're at a disadvantage, so any opening that makes itself known has to be taken. You did the right thing by bringing that creature down." Byakuya said, releasing her chin.

Nyruki nodded and looked at the blood staining his captain's haori, "Can I take a look?" She asked softly.

Byakuya simply nodded as he knelt down and took the time to calm his slightly faster breathing as she worked. She carefully removed the haori from his wounded shoulder and did the same with his torn top, lowering it down to his elbow to get an unobscured look at the cut in his pale flesh.

To her relief, it was not a deep wound, just a long one and was certainly survivable. It stretched from the top of his pectoral to the top of his shoulder blade, arcing _over_ his shoulder instead of carving through it. It was truly a cut made by a whip instead of a sword.

"It looks worse than it is. We got lucky." Nyruki sighed as she cupped her hands over the wound on his shoulder, hovering just above his skin.

She wasn't good at this. Not even close to even her Captain's level, but she was going to at least try to slow, if not stop the slow bleeding of the wound. That familiar soft blue light began to radiate from her hands, but it was irregular and not at all comforting.

As the Kidō began to work, albeit slowly and a bit ineffectively, Byakuya turned his head just enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye with his familiar blank expression. He knew she wanted to do what she could and it was just yet another proof of that determination he had heard about from Captain Ukitake as well as seen on more than one occasion. If she kept up with it, she would do well in Squad 6.

"I believe it is my turn to thank you." Byakuya said, still looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm only returning the favor." She said with a soft smile.

Byakuya exhaled through his nose and returned to looking down at his hands until Nyruki finished what the weak Kidō was capable of doing. She softly pressed her fingers around the edges of the wound to make sure it had stopped bleeding, and in fact, it had, before she grasped his top to begin pulling it up.

"Not yet." Byakuya said as he grasped the bottom edge of his captain's haori once more.

As he had done before, he tore off a strip of fabric and handed it to her to wrap his wound.

She took the fabric and slipped it beneath his arm and carefully, a bit delicately even, bandaged his shoulder and tied the ends tightly.

"That feel alright, Captain?" She asked, grasping the fabric of his top once more to help him shrug back into it.

"Yes. Thank you. We should get to the roof and hope we don't run into anymore of those creatures." Byakuya said as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah. It looks like there's some stairs over there." Nyruki said, pointing towards the opposite wall.

There was, indeed, a set of stairs that rose back up to the concrete platform where they had first seen the beast Hitsugaya, with the exception that a few segments had collapsed away. They easily hopped over the gaps as they climbed and reached the ruined door where they discovered how the beast had gotten into the facility in the first place.

He had flown in through a hole in the ceiling that allowed them to climb to the roof.

They began to climb the fallen slabs and mangled metal and once again, Byakuya reached the roof first before leaning over to help Nyruki up. He grasped her hand and pulled, easily handling her weight as he helped to bring her up to the roof. They wished it had still been dark because the sight that lay out before them was truly born of nightmare.

The sky had blackened into a stormy gray, swirling with barely contained lightning that streaked across the charcoal clouds. It rolled with distant thunder and the wind angrily whipped through the foul air, which neither really disagreed with, as it helped to keep the stench from creeping into their sinuses.

Their eyes followed the line of the three different colored tubes, and all of them stormed towards the towers of Squad 1. Their eyes were met with more tubes filled with different colored liquids, ranging from pure white, to an all encompassing black and all wound their way through the ruins on their brutal path towards the towers.

"If Mayuri Kurotsuchi's experiments are what I think they are, this is going to get far more difficult." Byakuya said as he released a stiff sigh.

"We should find the others and regroup. We're gonna need numbers if that's the case." Nyruki sighed as a nervous roll shot through her whole body at the mere thought of more of those creatures.

Luckily for them both, one such team arrived, appearing in a flash step behind them.

"There you are! We've been searching for you since we heard that boom." Yelped Captain Ukitake as he instantly approached Nyruki and saw her bandaged arm.

"We're fine, Captain, but we've gotta hurry and find Captain Kurotsuchi. We think he's-" Nyruki started, only to be cut off.

"We know. We ran into a rather nasty little surprise at the library." Kyōraku interrupted, his cheeks lightly scratched and with a few scuffs over his clothes which included a scorch mark through his pink kimono.

"We ran into an ice ghoul Hitsugaya inside the Department of Research and Development." Byakuya said.

"Ooo... That sounds nasty." Kyōraku cringed.

"He was, but there was no intelligence to him. He was animalistic, so we were able to defeat him... Well, Captain Kuchiki did." Nyruki said, shaking her head in disbelief as Ukitake looked at her arm.

"Same with our fire breathing Komamura. All he wanted was to kill and feed." Ukitake said, finally releasing Nyruki's arm and satisfied that it was cared for as adequately as possible.

"What's going on here? This is a bit more than just that madman's desires." Kyōraku said, holding the brim of his hat to keep it from blowing away in the stiff wind.

"That's what I'm starting to fear." Nyruki said.

Byakuya shot her a glance, "You fear he's falling into his desires."

"I fear he's already fallen. This is elaborate. This is progressed. Those tubes of concentrated spirit energy and those creatures created from the captains? He's hooked. This is what he wants above all else; To experiment on the captains and create those... those-" Nyruki couldn't finish as anger began to build in her chest.

Seeing her emotions, Ukitake wrapped her up in his arms and held her close, "We'll figure this out, Nyruki. There has to be a way we can end this."

"We face an uphill battle. Without adequate Kidō, or our Zanpakutōs, we have a very limited way to fight against these creatures. On top of that, we need to avoid getting injured because if we die here, we die in reality." Byakuya said, closing his eyes for a moment as he spoke.

"Is he right, Nyruki?" Ukitake asked, unwrapping his arms from around her.

Nyruki nodded, "Yeah. He's right. We die here, it's for real."

As the wind continued to howl, the other groups, save for Kibōyūwaku and Hitsugaya, found their way to the roof of the Squad 12 facility. They had all been faced with mutilated versions of one of the captains and none had managed to escape completely unscathed. The worst, thankfully, being Byakuya's shoulder.

Soi-Fon and Komamura described of how they had faced off against a demonic Byakuya, whom had been fused with his Zanpakutō in a way that made him the embodiment of cuts. He was a blood thirsty, mindless adaptation, covered in seeping wounds that he continued to lick with a tongue that stretched out to no less than six feet. His canines were lengthened into fangs and his silken hair had dreaded into pink tipped spines that he could fire at will. They told of how deathly thin he was, his ribs sticking out from skin that had turned entirely white and how his eyes were black with bloody red pupils. They had only managed to dispatch the demon when Komamura crushed his skull against the wall with a powerful slam.

Kenpachi and Unohana however, had not only dispatched their creature, but had brought its body with them to show the others, which now lay dead at everyone's feet.

It was a grotesque version of Captain Ukitake, whose long white hair was damp and clinging to his water logged flesh. His eyes, frozen open, were black, entirely black, with no iris and no life. His hands were tipped with claws and he had no legs period, but instead, a long spine covered tail of scales and fins the stretched out nearly four times Ukitake's actual height. It was thick, powerful and painted as if it were a koi's tail. The sight frightened Nyruki so much, that she curled back into that very man whom had been the basis for the creature.

"How did you kill... it?" Ukitake asked, gulping and holding Nyruki close, his hand placed on the back of her head as he studied the myriad of cuts covering the creature from head to tail.

"Broke his neck after throwing him into one of those auger things. That chopped him up good." Kenpachi said, crossing his arms with a grin.

"A truly vial beast. He swam through the sewers at frightening speed simply looking for prey." Unohana said, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I think it's probably safe to say that there's a possibility he's experimenting on more than just the captains." Kyōraku said, drawing the group's attention.

"I agree. That liquid is Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual energy." Byakuya said, pointing at the tube of raging, jet black and red liquid.

"Pray we don't run into him." Ukitake said, tightening his grip on Nyruki possessively.

"We're as good as dead if Mayuri's managed to complete the fusion with that one." Kyōraku said.

"We need to hurry. Kibōyūwaku and Captain Hitsugaya aren't here and I'm worried they found Captain Kurotsuchi." Nyruki finally said as she pulled away from Ukitake's embrace.

They all nodded in agreement and began to flash step across the Seireitei, using the roofs to move faster than using the ruined streets. They passed more tubes filled with lavender, blood red, purple, blue, and more, and they knew that they belonged to people of Lieutenant ranks and higher, as the blood red liquid belonged to that of Lieutenant Renji Abarai. The mad scientist _was_ experimenting on more than just the captains.

It didn't take long for them to reach the base of the towers, whose smoking stacks pumped more and more black smoke into the storming sky. They stopped and studied the liquid filled tubes that rose along the walls before disappearing into the structure halfway up. Out of all the tubes they had seen, there only rose a total of eight while the others went elsewhere.

Suddenly, as they stared upwards, the howl of the wind was shattered by the most heart wrenching, blood curdling scream that burst from the top of the main tower. The sound was pure pain, undiluted torment. It had burst from the lungs of someone whom was undergoing the worst nightmares that anyone could imagine. It was a male scream, one that broke Nyruki's heart despite not knowing who the scream belonged to and if she was honest, she didn't want to know.

None were able to handle the nightmare inducing scream, so instead of standing and listening to it, they ran, climbing the crumbling stairs and made their way to the top where they were faced with a massive set of iron doors. They were heavy and black with large fist sized rivets along their edges. The hinges on them were large enough to be used as boat anchors and had grown patches of surface rust from the foul air and chemicals that hung in the air.

But despite their vastness, they had been surprisingly easy to open. Kenpachi and Komamura each took a side and pulled the thick rings, swinging the iron doors outwards with a resonating metal groan that sounded like a battle horn off in the distance.

That is when they realized that it all got worse. Much, much, worse.

At the top of the main tower, behind those massive metal doors, they found Mayuri Kurotsuchi in his lab of nightmares.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

It was horror. Pure, undiluted horror.

The lab was dark, but lit with lines of harsh white lights that only beamed down directly below them. Tanks lined both sides, filled with the different colored liquids and containing one of each of the captains; Byakuya Kuchiki, Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku, Kenpachi Zaraki, all of them were suspended in the tanks of corresponding colored liquid that matched the color of their spiritual energy.

They all writhed in pain, small tubes plunging into their skin that pumped the concentrated spiritual energy into their veins. Their skin was taut around their bones, all having lost their muscle definition to be dangerously thin and frail. Even the bandage wrappings they wore simply to cover their intimate areas hung on their emaciated bodies like sheets.

Their pained faces were half covered by masks that provided them with oxygen laced with a mild anesthetic, draining just enough of their energy so that their weak, feeble pounding against the glass was simply a gesture to let the mad scientist know that they were still alive, but only just.

However, the worst of it was still to come.

In the center of the lab, a restraint table showed them whom was strapped there with tubes jammed into his flesh, pumping icy blue liquid into his writhing body. His arms were strapped outwards, preventing him from resisting the tortures he was forced to live through and his legs were strapped together to make him a cross on that table.

He had been the one to produce the scream as the mad scientist slammed a massive needle into his victim's neck and injected a pale green slim that spread beneath the victim's skin like ink on a wet page. The man, no, the boy, on the table tried to bite back the scream, but it came anyways, just as it had earlier and just as loud.

Throwing his head as far back as the table would allow, Tōshirō Hitsugaya screamed with everything he had, tears and blood poured from his eyes in unbroken streams. He writhed against his restraints, screaming and crying at the same time, but there simply wasn't enough strength left to break free. He was trapped, helpless and left to suffer at the hands of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Let's see what this new compound does, shall we?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi cackled as he set the emptied needle down on a stainless steel tray.

"'Shirō!" Ukitake yelped before he could stop himself, his eyes wide with fear, but he was unable to look away.

The sudden noise drew the scientist's attention away from his tortured test subject that wailed on the table.

"Oh good. A new batch of test subjects." Kurotsuchi laughed as he rubbed his hands together with a malicious grin across his crazed face.

"Is that the real Captain Hitsugaya?" Ukitake asked as his shocked expression turned down into undiluted anger.

Kurotsuchi simply shrugged, "He was here waiting to be experimented on when I arrived. It took a bit to catch up on my own research, but I'm pleased I have made some progress. Their fusions are not yet complete, but with some more time, I believe I'll be able to find a solution before starting on my prized subject."

"Prized subject?" Kenpachi arced a hairless brow.

All Kurotsuchi did was point upwards towards the ceiling.

Nyruki and the captains all followed his boney finger upwards, setting their already wide eyes on the tube filled with black and red. It pumped into a clear tank before dropping down a large bundle of smaller tubes that plunged into the body and down the throat of an orange haired teenager, literally hanging from straps and chains from the rafters as if he was being crucified and on display for all to see.

All but Nyruki recognized the young boy; It was Ichigo Kurosaki.

"He hangs as a reminder that I have to get the fusion right. It must be complete before I start with him. I nearly completed the fusion with Byakuya Kuchiki, but the control nearly died in the process." Kurotsuchi grumbled, pointing to the tank of white that suspended a motionless, mutilated body of Byakuya whose only indication that he was alive was the monitor that was display on the base of the tank that blipped with a weak heartbeat.

"You're a madman. Where's the real Captain Hitsugaya and Kibōyūwaku?" Asked Kyōraku, his brows angry and stern which was a rare expression for the man who was usually napping, or drinking sake.

"Oh? You mean them?" Kurotsuchi grinned.

With a hard pull of a lever, a black cage lowered from the ceiling, suspended by thick chains with links the size of Nyruki's head.

"You'll pay for this, Kurotsuchi!" The real Hitsugaya roared, trying to break through the bars that were far too thick to bend.

"Let them go! This isn't real, Mayuri! This is all just an illusion!" Kyōraku howled angrily, balling his fists.

"Illusion? If that is the case, then this is _my_ illusion where I can do whatever I want and further my research!" Kurotsuchi began to laugh out loud.

"This is my inner world! You can't just hijack it!" Nyruki snapped, rocking forward on one foot with her fists curled.

Kurotsuchi began to cackle all that much more, "Oh, is that so? Perhaps I should experiment on you as well. Whatever the case, I have her now and we are never leaving! If this is an illusion, then so be it. You're all trapped with me." He laughed harder.

"I was right... He's already fallen." Nyruki said, shaking her head, with fear and uncertainty clouding her mind and making it near impossible to think rationally.

"Now now... I haven't fallen anywhere. I've risen. I'll give you your precious little captain, but Kibōyūwaku stays with me." Kurotsuchi said, his laughter gone, having given way to a sneer of malicious intent.

"Fine! We'll do it!" Nyruki said instantly before any of the others could voice up.

"Nyruki! What are you doing?" Ukitake gasped.

"Trust me." She said simply and quietly.

"Oh, really?... Fine. Take him and leave me to my experiments." Kurotsuchi said as he pulled another lever that dropped the floor out from under Hitsugaya's side of the divided cage.

He hit the floor hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him as Soi-Fon flash stepped to him and immediately flash stepped back to the safety of the group. He softly coughed as he regained his breath, but he refused to lay there helplessly as he forced himself to his feet with fists and teeth clenched with all his strength.

However, another laugh began to rip from the scientist's throat and they all knew that something was wrong. It had been too easy to wrest the real Hitsugaya free and they all knew it.

"How you all have survived this long is a mystery. Lets end that so you don't ruin anything." Kurotsuchi laughed with a push of a large red button.

With a heavy metal thunk, a door slid up on the left side of the large lab. More of the perverted versions of the captains began to emerge and all of them had been fused clones of the ones in the tanks. Kurotsuchi was cloning an army of the monstrous creatures with the powers of their Zanpakutōs.

Another demon Byakuya whipped his long spike-tipped tongue with bared teeth while the spines of his hair bristled with anticipation. He walked hunched and on the balls of his bare feet that were also tipped with claws and his fingers dragged across the wall, leaving behind long claw marks that carved the concrete far too easily. His throat snarled with a rabid, double toned timbre and his entire body was covered in weeping cuts that stained the tattered cloth that wrapped around his boney hips.

As if that wasn't enough, another ice ghoul Hitsugaya crawled forward next, beating his wings and growling with hunger. His tail whipped wildly, snapping against the demon Byakuya's chest that left behind a cut that he immediate began to lick with a sickening grin.

The fire breathing Komamura was next, growling with a deep rumble and walking on all fours with ears back and massive teeth wetly bared. His eyes were wild, pure instinct to kill and maul and he was hungry, so desperate for a meal that he snapped at the demon Byakuya's arm, hoping for a bite, but missed. The demon was faster.

The next creature was another water-bound Ukitake that pulled himself along with his long, thin arms, dragging the heavy tail behind him that slammed against anything within his reach. His hair was wet, clinging to his bare back with the bones of his spine poking through the thin flesh that was gray and lined with the blue lines of his veins. Now that they got to see a living creature that wasn't carved by one of the giant augers, they all saw the set of gills laced into each side, being five thin slits that flared and wheezed with each struggled breath.

The rest, emerging out from behind the ones that had already been seen before, only served to get worse.

A grotesque and bloody remnant of Kenpachi emerged out from the darkness of the corridor, hair as spiky as ever but sprouting from not just his head, but all the way down his exposed back and each spike was tipped with a dagger that plucked at his own flesh. One eye was completely gouged out, leaving only a bleeding hole and his mangled teeth resembled the cutting edge of his Zanpakutō. Each finger and toe was tipped with claws, replacing each digit's tip and they were huge, purely engineered to rend and tear anything within his long arm's reach.

The growling and snarling was soon covered by a deep buzzing as a small, flying Soi-Fon emerged next. She was strictly air bound, as her legs had been replaced by a large abdomen, that of a hornet, that was armed with a stinger that put the needle Kurotsuchi had used to shame. Her torso was just as thin and sickly, her ribs being easily visible through the thin vail of pale flesh that was tinted with yellow and black. Her eyes were entirely yellow and trained on them as she mashed her teeth and a pair of horrifying mandibles together that ached to sink into her prey.

The last one finally emerged, being what remained of Shunsui Kyōraku. He was sullen and thin like a stray dog, but his arms from the elbows down had been replaced with his familiar blades. They dragged as he walked half hunched over, and his wavy hair that was usually pulled back was free to drape over his shoulders. His canines were long and sharp and his tongue hung out of his mouth and dripped with a painful hunger.

Each creature began to circle them like sharks, ready, impatiently waiting to be given the order to tear at their prey and consume their flesh, only to play with their bones afterwards.

"There's no Unohana." Kyōraku said, keeping his eyes locked on his remnant that had begun to lick his lips with the anticipation of food to feed his desperate 6'3 frame.

"There was no need for one. Her Zanpakutō heals instead of rends. Do try to stay within my complex while you run. I want to record the results." Kurotsuchi laughed lowly as he watched and enjoyed the terrified looks on their faces as the predators encroached closer.

"You're mad!" Ukitake gasped, protectively wrapping his arms around Nyruki like a father would a daughter against a threat.

"Not mad. Driven... Determined." Kurotsuchi grinned.

"We need to go." Byakuya said as calmly as possible, his eyes quickly shifting to each creature to watch their movements.

"You won't get far... Attack!"

With a unanimous roar, the creatures lunged for their prey, swiping and reaching for them, only to grasp at air when they landed and collided with each other into a thrashing pile.

The whole group, at once, had flash stepped out just in time as each creature began to fight and snap at each other like rapid dogs fighting over a single piece of meat.

The group wasted no time and bolted down the corridor that the creatures had emerged from, having been blocked off from the main door by the bickering predators. They ran as fast as they could, but they were not home free, as the creatures put aside their bickering to give chase.

They followed the blank corridor as it took them down at a slope, descending into a black shadow that was only broken in even intervals by small hanging lights that barely parted the blackness. They could hear the mashing of hungry jaws, hear the sound of spines slamming into the concrete behind them and they knew that the pack was drawing close. Dangerously close, as the creatures were faster than they were.

The group never slowed until they burst out into an open chamber that was massive, making them feel small in its vastness. Its ceiling was so high that it couldn't be seen, held up my just as massive columns of poured concrete that had been scarred by claws and blades. The floor was smeared with dried blood and crushed bone and running along the walls, was an enclosed water filled tube that lead to a large pool. They knew where they were, as they were in the den of the creatures.

"This is not where we need to be!" Kyōraku snapped as all skidded to a halt, not sure where to go next in the massive expanse.

"We have to get Kibōyūwaku!" Nyruki yelled as she tried to head back the way they had come.

However, a tight grip on her wrist kept her from going far.

"No! We can't right now!" Ukitake barked, refusing to let her go.

"If we don't, we're all trapped here! Don't you get it! We're locked in here until we either kill him, or set Kibōyūwaku free so she can knock him out of this!" Nyruki growled, trying to get free of the stronger man's grasp, only to have her other arm grabbed hard.

"Stop! We have to retreat and regroup and right now, we do not have the time to argue!" Byakuya snapped at her.

He was right. She knew it without even thinking about it. They were being chased by horrific monsters that had been created from the suffering of the people she had come to care about. They needed to run and find somewhere safe to regroup and plan, but where, she had no idea. She couldn't think and she figured they would figure that out together and once they were free of danger.

With a nod, Nyruki calmed herself, "You're right. I'm sorry." She said, pursing her lips together.

"We're all scarred, Nyruki, but we'll figure this out." Ukitake said, his voice comforting and warm that helped ease her mind.

Nyruki nodded, "I don't know how to get out of here."

"Then we come up with something along the way. Even I know when to run." Kenpachi said as he readied for combat by balling his fists.

The creatures were closing and fast.

"That'll work. They're here!" Kyōraku yelled.

The creatures burst from the corridor and skidded to a halt, growling and angry, drooling for their meal as they stalked towards them with claws ticking against the stained floor.

The demon Byakuya swiped his tongue along his freshest wound to lap up the blood as his hair bristled and rose up on end, ready to be fired. They released with a howling scream, sending a dozen spines shooting from the long tail of hair that raced towards them in a tight cluster. They all ducked and flash stepped away as the spines embedded themselves into the column, just as the group reappeared on the opposite side.

"Oh, those are not gonna be fun if we get hit!" Kyōraku said, his breath coming in and out of his lungs from having to sprint.

"We need to split up. Hopefully we'll separate them enough to handle them!" Soi-Fon said through her breath.

"No time to debate it! Go!" Ukitake ordered.

Just as they flash stepped away, having broken up into their previous groups without a word, a whirling tornado whizzed out of the darkness and only stopped when the bladed arms of the starving Kyōraku embedded themselves into the concrete with a cloud of dust.

They had all gone in separate directions, each being chased by one, or more of the creatures, and if you asked Byakuya and Nyruki, they would have much rather been chased by anything other than what had decided to hunt them.

The demon Byakuya.

They had run away from the large pool, but had followed the glass enclosed waterway in hopes of it leading them into the sewers where they could get outside. No second passed without a dozen spines whizzing passed their heads that plowed into the wall. They were endless and the lashing tongue of the demon chasing them snapped like a whip, cracking as it tried to reach out and grab ahold of them.

Both knew they needed distance from the demon, so as they ran, Byakuya did the only thing he could to trip up the beast. He pointed behind him, still sprinting, and cast a spell.

"Hadō #4; Byakurai!" Byakuya called out.

A small sparking blue ball began to build at his fingertip, but it was weak, not at all as powerful as it should have been as the arcing lightning lunged from his fingertip and smashed into the demon's chest. It was enough to cause the creature to stumble and fall to the concrete with a scream, roaring in pain as he tumbled, but it bought Byakuya and Nyruki time to reach the end of the corridor.

To their relief, their hunch had proved fruitful as the corridor emptied out into the sewers with the thunder of water spilling into the waterway that raced with a deafening current through the troughs. It was dark, but they could still see where they were going as they ran along the path that was lit with small orange lights.

"This way!" Byakuya called out, neither slowing, nor looking behind him as he shot for a passageway that jutted to the right.

Their new corridor ran parallel with the racing water and neither were content with the threat that the Mer-Ukitake could suddenly appear. They knew they were in his domain and needed to put as much distance between them and any water source as they could.

Grabbing her arm, Byakuya yanked Nyruki to the right as to shoot down another corridor that lead away from the water.

"This should lead to an exit not far from my manor!" Byakuya said through his breathing that was beginning to get heavy from the sheer speed of their run.

However, after only a number of yards, they were forced to skid to a halt before they plowed into a brick wall that suddenly appeared through the darkness.

"What? This shouldn't be here!" Byakuya reeled, his hands firmly planted on the bricks as if he could push them aside.

"This was built here, Captain! The bricks don't match the rest!" Nyruki said, panting as she looked behind them at the raging waterway with rising terror.

"This was put here to keep those creatures in. We need to find another way." Byakuya said as he grit his teeth together, pushing against the immovable bricks

"I doubt that'll be of use, Captain. If this is bricked up, I bet the rest of them are too." Nyruki said as she started to shake.

The distant snarl of their pursuer broke through the thunder of the water and they knew that the demon was closing in, most likely having followed their scent. They stared with their backs against the bricks, breathing heavy and eyes frozen wide as their nightmare appeared.

Skiding to a halt, the demon Byakuya mashed his jaws together and whipped his tongue around to snap its spiked tip against the wall. His fingers were clawed and ready, and the spines in his long hair had risen to ready themselves to be launched at their targets.

They were trapped like fish in a barrel.

The demon snarled with his dripping mouth as he hunch over, placing his hands on the floor in a prowl, readying himself to fire his deadly spines. This was it. They had made the gamble and had lost.

As they pressed back further into the bricks, a long narrow spike burst through the chest of the demon Byakuya, lifting him off the ground as he thrashed and screamed in pain. He wailed with flailing limbs as he tried to pull the spike from his chest, but it wasn't long until Byakuya and Nyruki realized that the spike was attached to something behind him.

The demon was whipped from side to side, smashing him into the walls hard enough to spider and splatter blood across the bricks. Each slam produced another cry from the demon until eventually, he stopped, having been killed by the owner of the spike.

With a flick of his long painted tail, the Mer-Ukitake tossed the demon Byakuya from the spike at the end of his tail, having ejected it like a bolt from a crossbow. It wasn't a simple spike, but rather a javelin.

"They kill each other?" Nyruki gasped, her hands firmly planted on the bricks behind her.

"It's survival of the fittest. The weak die to ensure the strong survive." Byakuya said, never removing his eyes from the creature as he rose from the water like a serpent.

"Does that mean he'll eat that demon after us?" Nyruki asked, trembling.

However, Byakuya said nothing as he offered her a glance that reflected their mutual fear. She could see her reflection in his silver eyes, and she was terrified. These monsters were nothing she had expected, and their insatiable hunger only drove that fear to new heights. She couldn't think, her mind refused to think because the only things running through her mind was that she was about to die.

With an echoing shriek, the Mer-Ukitake earned their attention as he used his thin arms to pull his large body from the water. He had his prey cornered, so the need to be in the water had evaporated against the need to finish his hunt and reap his rewards.

Nyruki's fear had frozen her solid. She couldn't move, though she wanted to. She wanted to run, wanted to do anything to get away because she was desperate for the last thing she saw not to be a mutilated form of the man whom had become a pseudo-father to her. It wasn't fair and it began to build tears in her eyes just at the thought of it.

Her thoughts were shattered as a pair of firm hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to the side so that she no longer pressed back against the bricks, but a body instead.

"Do you trust me?" Byakuya asked as an arm snaked around her middle to hold her tightly to him.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" He asked again as his other planted hard against the bricks with a wide open palm.

The Mer-Ukitake crawled closer and as soon as his long tail was firmly on the concrete, he raised it like the tail of a scorpion, laying on his belly with his hungry eyes staring into their souls. He licked his lips as the tip of his tail began to drip large drops of a clear liquid, thick and stringy as a new javelin began to emerge. He could willfully produce them and this new one was pointed directly at the pair.

"Yes... Yes, I trust you." Nyruki said, gulping and trembling as she pressed back as far as his body would allow out of her fear that had reached a fever pitch.

The Mer-Ukitake shrieked again, lifting his torso up on his thin arms. His gills flared with heaving breaths as he whipped his tail and fired that very javelin with a howl.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Author's Note: So, I'm sure some of you have noticed that I have the story scheduled to update three times a week. Yup, that's true. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I will update this because... well... I have a confession; I have the entire thing written already. Part 1 – Part 3. Done. Just done. So, luckily for you guys, you get three times a week to read what happens! Yay! Read, enjoy, review, etc!**

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They had run for their lives. They had run without a moments rest from the main tower and had managed to escape to the edge of the Seireitei, heaving and panting for air that couldn't fill their lungs fast enough.

Somehow, for some reason that they had yet to determine, the creatures had refused to leave the perimeter of the ruined Seireitei. Perhaps they couldn't, or perhaps they had been ordered not to, but it had been their moment of luck that they were not going to argue with.

The captains rested at the base of a massive tree at the edge of the clearing just trying to catch their breath. Some sat, some stood, but all were exhausted from having to literally run for their lives.

Captain Ukitake's hands were on his knees as he tried with all his might to catch his breath. His lungs screamed at him, scalded him for having run so fast for so long, but he ignored their pleas. He simply concentrated on catching his breath before an attack could present itself. He knew having an attack now could prove fatal.

"I... need water." Ukitake panted, glancing up at his best friend whom was coaxing him to stand up straight.

"We'll find some. Are you going to be ok?" Kyōraku asked, barely having brought his own heavy breathing under control.

"That's if there is water. This is Sawada's inner world so only she knows." Soi-Fon said with hands on her hips as she sucked in breath after breath.

"As soon as Byakuya and Nyruki arrive, we'll ask." Kyōraku said, lightly rubbing Ukitake's back.

"Where are they? They should be here by now." Komamura said, resting his head back against the black tree he was leaning up against.

"Don't... say that... They'll be here." Ukitake panted, finding that relief was his as the ache began to ebb away. His risk of an attack was going down.

Suddenly, a massive blast back within the ruined Seireitei drowned out the storm overhead, sending a huge plume of smoke and debris skyward that billowed and twisted as if it was the one being experimented on.

"Bet that's them." Kenpachi said, leaning up against the tree next to Sajin Komamura, his lungs too desperate for air to allow him to stand.

Ukitake gulped painfully, worry clear in his chocolate eyes as he stared out at the plume. He didn't want that to be them, but at the same time, a part of him did. That explosion could mean any number of things, from a creature having caught up to them, to Byakuya and Nyruki managing to kill one. He desperately hoped for the latter.

All were silent as they just watched the smoke, wondering and waiting what would happened next, but in a wink, the very two they were worried about appeared before them from a flash step.

Byakuya stood behind a limp Nyruki, holding her tightly to him and panting for breath. Their hair hung damp, flowing with the wind and Byakuya's flawless pale skin had been covered with dust, cut with a small slice across his right cheek that cried a single tear of blood. Their clothes dripped and both were caked with dirt and blood that smeared together from having gotten wet.

However, it wasn't their condition that garnished Ukitake's horror, but the javelin that thrust through Nyruki's middle that sent his heart plummeting towards the ground.

"No... No! No no no!" Ukitake cried out as he ran to her and grasped her shoulders, tears filling his eyes from panic and despair.

At his touch, Nyruki raised her head and looked up at him with blurry eyes and tear stained cheeks. A slow, thin line of blood had crept from her lips and down her chin, but that was all. It hadn't come gushing out as it should have with such a wound.

"C-Captain?" She stuttered, weakly reaching up to grasp his arms, desperate for anything to hold onto.

Ukitake's chest hiccuped with a silent sob, "W-What happened?" He managed to ask, never removing his eyes from her as he helped to raise her head by cupping her chin gently.

"He... caught up to us." Byakuya answered for her, his breath hopping in his chest with every pained inhale.

Ukitake tried to take Nyruki from the younger captain, but Byakuya's hold was firm. He wasn't going to let her go. His arm refused to unwrap itself from around her waist and with each tug Ukitake tried to wrest her from his grasp, Byakuya's face winced as he bit back whatever clogged his throat.

Kyōraku, rushing to help, stopped suddenly when he reached the pair that was somehow still standing. Byakuya refused to fall to his knees, or to let Nyruki go and it struck him as odd why the captain was so steadfast in holding onto her. Normally, Byakuya would have relinquished his hold to allow Ukitake to take the woman, but as he drew close, he realized that it wasn't out of a desire to continue holding her, but rather, he couldn't let go of her.

"Jūshirō... Stop. He can't let her go." Kyōraku said, his expression blank as he stood behind Byakuya, staring down at his lower back.

Ukitake's brows furrowed as he stepped around them, keeping a hand on Nyruki's shoulder and Byakuya's upper arm to see what his best friend was looking at and it wasn't good.

The javelin had punctured through Nyruki's middle entirely and had speared through Byakuya's abdomen, sticking out of his back a solid two feet. They had been skewered together.

"By the gods-" Ukitake exhaled.

the last of Byakuya's energy faded and his knees gave out from under him. He collapsed, using the last of himself to twist them to the side and land on his shoulder so the javelin wouldn't hit the ground and possibly cause more damage than it already had.

"What happened? Tell me!" Ukitake called out as he too dropped to his knees and placed his hands on both their shoulders.

Byakuya curled around Nyruki, still holding her to him to keep the javelin from moving, "It was the Mer-Ukitake... He killed the demon chasing us to... claim the kill for himself... We were trapped at a dead end with nowhere to go... It should have lead us to an exit... not far from my estate, but... it had been walled off... I had no choice, but to try a high level Kidō." He said, swallowing down a cry of pain with a low groan that made its home in his throat.

"Go on." Ukitake said quietly as he brushed aside a damp lock of the man's hair from his face.

Byakuya gulped, "I pulled her back against me as I planted my hand against the wall... I began the incantation as we watched... and waited for the Mer-Ukitake to fire, but... I hadn't counted on the speed at which he could fire it... She jumped ahead of me and took the javelin to buy me time to finish the incantation... thinking that her body would stop it, but... it didn't... It pierced through her and the force of it threw her back against me just as the spell triggered." He finished, curling around Nyruki a bit more and realizing that the closer he was, the less it hurt.

"She what?" Ukitake whispered, placing a worried hand on Nyruki's cheek that earned him a shaking glance from her.

"This is my fault, Captain... I... I didn't protect any of you." Nyruki said softly, her chest hopping with barely contained sobs from the pain that had completely surrounded her.

"Lets get this out of you two." Kyōraku interjected as he reached for the javelin, only to stop when both Ukitake and Unohana yelped.

"Stop!"

"What? We can't very well leave them skewered together like a kabob." Kyōraku shrugged.

"We can't remove it right now. It's the only thing keeping them from bleeding out. Healing Kidō only marginally works here. We have to rely on standard World of the Living medical practices while we're trapped here." Unohana said as she began to rip her captain's haori into long strips and tied them together.

The others cautiously approached and knelt down, surrounding Byakuya and Nyruki on the ground in a tight circle. They all helped to prop the pair up as Captain Unohana began to wrap the strips around them, looping the makeshift bandage around the javelin on each side to keep it as still as possible and in place.

With the javelin secure, she wrapped what remained around their waists and yanked it tight, causing both to grunt in pain before she tied the ends together against their sides.

"This will keep them still and hopefully hold the javelin. Can you carry them, Sajin?" Unohana asked once she was satisfied with the knot.

"Without trouble." Komamura said as he carefully slipped his thick arms beneath Byakuya under his knees and behind his shoulders.

The gargantuan Komamura easily lifted Byakuya's and Nyruki's combined weight, but the sudden jarring of being lifted was enough to cause both to hiss in pain once more. Byakuya had managed to bite back his cry, but Nyruki hadn't.

A hiccuped wail leapt from her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut and tightly gripped the javelin protruding from her middle. The very cry that emanated from her was enough to cause a tear to fall from Ukitake's eye as he helped to position the pair in Komamura's fully capable arms.

"You have them?" Ukitake asked, overflowing with concern that no one was faulting him more.

"Yes. Now, where do we take them?" Komamura asked, his large fingers curling around Byakuya's entire shoulder as his own grip tightened on Nyruki laying over his front.

"Head... North... There's a cave near a small stream there." Nyruki said quietly, her breath wet and full of pain.

"Good. That will serve as a good hideout. Let us go." Unohana said softly.

The group had recovered just enough to flash step into the branches, leaping onto each one to keep the jarring to a minimum for the injured pair. They simply lay against Komamura's massive fur covered chest, allowing him to do all the work. Even Byakuya, whom was normally the picture of endurance and grace, simply lay limp with his arm wrapped around the woman laying against him.

Her warmth covered his entire front with her head lolled to the side and resting against the front of his left shoulder, but he didn't care. The warmth helped to ebb the pain shooting through his entire body, radiating outwards from the javelin punched through his abdomen. The pain was intense, but he just didn't have the energy to even move his head, so instead, he just let his cheek rest against the top of her head. It was the only way he could keep from moving and causing them both more pain.

It was here he realized that the woman was actually fairly average. Her height was slightly above average, being a few inches shorter than he which brought the top of her head just beneath his sharp chin. Her figure was curved just enough to prove that she was a woman, but still being lithe enough for him to use one arm to latch onto her almost completely around. She had become much stronger than when he first saw her four years ago, with firm muscles that were defined just enough to show how much she had worked. Despite her rather average build and average height, she was still pretty and built exactly for it.

As they flew from branch to branch, the fresh air felt like purifying nectar to Nyruki's lungs. They burned from the charring smoke and foul stench from the lab. Her exhaustion was absolute to the point where she didn't have the desire to keep her head up. Her ear rested against her captain's chest and despite the whoosh in her ears, she could hear the slowed thump, thump, thump, of his heart. It was steady, but far too slow to ease not just the physical pain, but the emotional pain as well. She hadn't done enough to protect them.

Time didn't seem to matter anymore as the captains reached the cliff Nyruki had told them about. A small creek bubbled along the ground not far from the cave's entrance, which was carved into the base of the tall cliff that was topped with more massive shadowy trees. The ground rustled with forgotten leaves and the forever twilight twinkled above them through the thin blanket of sepia clouds.

They walked inside where Komamura gently knelt down and went to rest Byakuya back against the cave wall, but halted when he raised a shaky hand to stop him.

"I can't... You need to break off the end first." Byakuya said, blowing out forced breaths to help him breathing through the pain.

"Alright. Captain Unohana?" Komamura called out.

"He's right. I'll hold them still. I want you to break off the end, but not completely. Leave a few inches so it doesn't withdraw into his body." She said as she knelt beside the speared pair.

Komamura nodded once as he let the small woman hold them before wrapping his hands around the javelin protruding from Byakuya's back.

Ukitake and Kyōraku soon knelt down on their other side and helped to keep them still with Ukitake holding their shoulders and Kyōraku holding down their legs. Both knew this was going to hurt and he wanted to limited how much they might flail. They were very much at risk of causing more damage.

With everyone in their positions, Unohana began to count. "One... Two... Three!"

With a splintering crunch and two cries of screaming pain, Komamura squeezed the javelin and broken off a foot and a half of its length which left a mere six inches protruding from Byakuya's back. The action had shuttered the javelin in every way possible, vibrating it through Byakuya and Nyruki and both howled from the intensity that whited out their vision with wide splotches.

"It's over! It's ok... Just breathe." Ukitake said softly, hoping his calm voice would ease their pain as he tucked a loose lock of Nyruki's hair behind her ear.

Both Byakuya and Nyruki did just that, blowing out stiff puffs of air as the pain slowly ebbed away, leaving them to shake with shock that was quickly draining the blood from their faces.

"We should shorten the other end as well." Unohana said, earning a pained glare from the pair.

"Do it." Byakuya said as a bead of sweat crawled down his temple.

Again, they all held them still as Komamura knelt down in front of Nyruki and wrapped his hands around the javelin. With another count from Unohana, Byakuya and Nyruki held their breath until Komamura squeezed again and broken off a large portion of the javelin, leaving behind only a foot.

Again, as the javelin splintered, Byakuya and Nyruki yelped from the pain, both throwing their heads back as their throats rumbled and chests heaved with the forced breathing.

The length of spike now significantly shortened, the others helped to lean Byakuya back against the cave wall and made sure that there was enough space for the javelin so it wouldn't make contact with the stone. Kyōraku removed the pink kimono from his shoulders and placed it over them, helping to keep them warm from the setting shock that was causing their skin to turn far too pale for their liking.

"Ow-" Nyruki wept, her own arm wrapping around her middle, laying over Byakuya's and grasping the length of javelin in her shaking hand.

Ukitake softly sniffled as he placed a soft hand against her cheek, "You going to be ok?"

Nyruki nodded, "Could be worse." She managed a short lived smile.

Ukitake returned the smile, "Not sure how," he shifted his eyes up to meet Byakuya, "Are you comfortable?"

Byakuya nodded and swallowed, "I'll be alright. Some water would be appreciated however." He said, evening out his breathing and resting his head back against the hard cave wall.

Ukitake nodded and maintained his smile as he stood and went to the others whom had begun to discuss their next move near the entrance of the cave.

"So what do we do?" Kyōraku asked, crossing his arms.

"We need to worry about providing care for them." Unohana said softly, keeping her voice low as Byakuya and Nyruki rested, their eyes closed.

"I'll help." Ukitake said.

Unohana nodded, "I was about to suggest that. Your extensive knowledge of human medical practices will help greatly."

"Hitsugaya and I can go find something to get some water from that creek." Kyōraku said with a nod of agreement from Hitsugaya.

"Then Sajin, could you provide sentry in case those creatures decide to come after us?" Unohana asked.

Komamura simply nodded once.

"Then I'll go get us something to eat." Kenpachi said with a grin.

"Can we even eat here?" Ukitake asked.

"Yes... You can." Came Nyruki's voice.

The group all looked back at her, having thought they were asleep, but both were awake and watching them.

"My inner world is complete. There's wildlife here and water. Fire works too. I've camped here on more than one occasion." Nyruki said, her breathing much more normal, but still pained.

"Then that's settled. Soi-Fon, could you gather some firewood?" Unohana asked.

"Yes." The small woman said simply.

"Good. We all have our tasks. I'll stay here and watch over them. Be careful. We don't know if those creatures will come after us." Unohana added.

Each captain nodded as they broke from their meeting and set off, leaving Unohana and Ukitake to stand at the mouth of the cave with Komamura to help keep watch. They were very much within earshot of the pair should they call out for either one of them.

As Nyruki simply stared out of the mouth of the cave with her ear resting against Byakuya's cool chest, she simply let her mind go blank as she watched the three standing guard. She couldn't hear his heart since she had turned her head to the other side, but she knew he was alive, as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. Her arm still rested over his with her hand gripping the javelin as if it helped to ebb the pain. It didn't, of course, but it just gave her something to hold onto to serve as a distraction.

With a short swallow, Byakuya lifted his head from the cave wall and looked down at the top of her head. He could feel her shaking through the javelin she held and it was only serving to maintain the pain at a sharp level. He removed his arm from beneath hers and grasped her hand, using his other to gently coax her fingers open.

"There's no sense in holding onto it. It's not going anywhere." Byakuya said softly, his voice nearly a whisper.

Nyruki only resisted a moment before letting his hands remove her fingers from around the javelin, "It hurts." She said just as quietly, turning her head back to the left to listen to his heart.

Byakuya nodded, "Yes, but we've got to power through it." He said as he slipped her hand from the javelin for some much needed relief. It instantly stilled.

"I know." Nyruki simply exhaled as her fingers wrapped around his hand instead, "I'm sorry, Captain. I just need something to hold onto." She added.

Byakuya's own fingers curled around hers, as he understood her need to hold onto something. It was a comfort to have something in your hand when your whole being was in immeasurable pain.

"Better my hand than the javelin. Your trembling was shaking it." Byakuya said lowly, fully encompassing her hand with both of his where she placed her other on top of the pile.

"Sorry." She breathed.

"Why did you do it?" Byakuya asked after a moment.

Nyruki shrugged, but the action sent a jolt of pain shooting through them that both jerked from.

"Don't do that." Byakuya lowly groaned, blowing out the breath he held to hold back his yelp.

"S-Sorry." Nyruki blew her held breath out of her mouth, "I just did. I can't tell you why." She added as the pain eased once more.

"I see." He whispered, letting his head hang forward so his mouth was close to her ear. The cave wall was hard, uncomfortable and jabbed into the back of his head.

"I guess... maybe it was because I wanted to do something to protect you, protect anyone, since I've been doing such a lousy job so far." She said, feeling his breath brush over her cold, sweaty skin.

"You couldn't have predicted Mayuri Kurotsuchi's reaction to this. None of us could." Byakuya said, slowly, cautiously raising a leg slightly to plant his foot in the dirt to keep them from sliding forward.

Nyruki swallowed and licked her lips clean, "I guess. I thought... maybe I could deflect it away from us, but-" She stopped when she felt Byakuya shaking his head against her own.

"There was no way to deflect that. The speed at which the creature can fire is absolute." He said as he released a hand from hers to brush off some dirt from his face with the back of his hand.

"So I proved." Nyruki scoffed gently.

Byakuya returned his hand to covering hers, "I will not be angry with your decision, Nyruki. I've taken a blow for someone before; A near fatal one."

"Really?" She asked, letting her head loll back into his chest.

"It was after my battle with Ichigo Kurosaki the first time he came to Soul Society. I saved Rukia from being killed by a former captain's blade. I took the hit meant for her." Byakuya said quietly.

"I see." Nyruki breathed softly.

"If it had gone slightly deeper, it would have killed me. As it was, it had punctured a lung." Byakuya said, casting his eyes downward.

"I can't even imagine the pain... well, maybe I can." Nyruki said, somehow managing to crack a lopsided, slightly forced smile that he could see.

Byakuya huffed and the barest hint of a returned smile crested his lips, "That is true."

It hurt to talk, but at the same time, it was a distraction that both wanted. The pain was intense and with each breath they took, their bodies moved just enough to twitch the javelin about in their flesh. They let themselves fall silent to just rest, too afraid to move out of the fear of causing more pain.

For Nyruki, the silence did help her to relax, and in doing so, she relieved herself of a bit more of the fire. Her muscles relaxed around the javelin and she heard a soft sigh of relief from the man behind her. In fact, they were both relieved and it drove them to relax that last bit which rested her forehead against his cheek.

This was all they could do. Rest and just breathe through what pain remained. Their hands were grasped together in a single ball like an anchor grasping the ocean floor, firm and unmoving, and it was here where they would wait for the others to return.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The fire softly crackled in the center of the cave, beaming flickering orange against the black stone. Its warmth radiated outwards and had broken apart the chill of the cave air so that none inside were freezing and for two of them, it was much appreciated.

The captains had returned after a short while, having completed their given tasks. Kyōraku and Hitsugaya had found a downed tree and had cleaned and shaped it with what Kidō worked into a viable pale that they filled with water from the creek. It wasn't perfect, but it had served its purpose in bringing back some water. Soi-Fon had easily gathered enough wood for the fire and Kenpachi, in true fashion, had found and slaughtered a small elk with his bare hands that was now simmering over their fire.

As the scent of cooking flesh filled the wide cave, Ukitake had sat down next to Byakuya and Nyruki, having filled a small bowl that Kyōraku and Hitsugaya had also shaped, with some of the cold water.

"Here... Drink." Ukitake said softly as he brought the small bowl to Byakuya's lips.

Byakuya lifted his head from Nyruki's forehead just enough to take a sip, letting the coolness wet his dry lips from the sting the dust had caused.

"Thank you." He said before letting his head drop back down.

Ukitake nodded as he did the same for Nyruki, she too taking a slow mouthful to rid her throat of the dry scratch. He set the drinking bowl down and picked up another, where he dipped a piece of cloth wrapped around his fingers that he had torn from his own captain's haori.

"Let's get you two cleaned up a bit." Ukitake said softly as he began to gently wipe away the grime from Byakuya's face, near the small cut across his cheek.

"It's not necessary... I'm fine." Byakuya said, but didn't bother trying to move his head away from the gesture.

"You're filthy. I want to at least clean this cut." Ukitake said, dipping the cloth in the water to renew it.

"Very well." Byakuya sighed.

Ukitake worked gently to remove the set in dirt from his skin and cleaned the small cut that turned out to look worse than it actually was. It was a relief, albeit a small one, that it was nothing more than a mere scratch caused by the grazing of a piece of debris.

"Now, it's your turn young lady." Ukitake smiled as he began to wipe off Nyruki's face.

"Captain-" Nyruki whined weakly, but she too, made no attempt to refuse the care.

"Oh, don't. This is the least I can do for now until we come up with a viable method to remove this thing and not have you two bleed out." Ukitake said as he dipped his cloth.

"There may not be a way. You should consider leaving us behind when you go back to rescue her Zanpakutō spirit." Byakuya said lowly, still holding onto her hand with his arm laying limp across her belly, beneath the javelin.

"We'll find a way." Ukitake said.

"He's right, Captain. This is all an elaborate illusion. The best way is to get us out and then rush us to Squad 4 once we're free. I'm doing all I can here and it'll keep us alive in the meantime, so take advantage of it." Nyruki said, finding the energy to lift her head up off of Byakuya's chest.

Ukitake's brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Take a look." Nyruki said softly.

His brows drawing down further, Ukitake set down his cloth and small bowl before he rolled the pink kimono away to reveal the makeshift bandage tied tightly around them. He gently untied the knot and let it go slack, which sent a rush of pain shooting through both that they managed bit back without a sound. He gently, slowly, began to roll the cloth away from around the javelin, not wanting to remove it completely, but just enough so he could see.

It only took a few moments for him to reveal Nyruki's wound. Her flesh was ugly and tight around the javelin, but it was missing something. It wasn't bleeding. Not a drop. The blood that stained them wasn't theirs.

"Captain Unohana? You might want to come look at this." Ukitake called out just loud enough for his voice to carry to the group seated around the fire.

The small woman smoothly rose to her feet and headed over, where she knelt down next to him and took a look for herself.

"Hmm... Let us check Captain Kuchiki's back as well." Unohana said softly as she placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder.

Both Unohana and Ukitake helped Byakuya to sit up straight and the movement instantly sparked the inferno of pain that scorched through them both. It was white hot and both had to use a considerable amount of willpower simply to not scream. Their throats rumbled lowly with barely contained grunts and their grip on each other tightened as if they would blow away with the slightest breeze if they let go.

Once the wounded pair were sitting up, Captain Unohana loosened the fabric from his wound and sure enough, it looked exactly the same as Nyruki's. There was no blood at all, save for the angry reddening of his flesh wrapped tightly around the javelin from having been punctured so violently.

"I don't understand. There should be some blood at least. We left this in specifically to help stem the bleeding." Unohana said with a concerned glance at Ukitake.

"I'm using my spiritual pressure to keep us from bleeding." Nyruki said with a cracky voice and pain in her eyes as she lay back against Byakuya.

"You are? Is this translating to your physical bodies?" Unohana asked as she began to rewrap the cloth around their midsections.

"It should be. There's just gonna be large, ugly red holes." Nyruki said, swallowing down a sharp yelp of pain that simply came out as a squeak.

"I apologize for this, but-" Unohana began, but her voice near instantly trailed off.

She needed to tighten the wrapping, they knew it had to be done, but neither were prepared for the blaze that ignited their world as she yanked hard on the fabric to tighten it around them. Byakuya and Nyruki both cried out in pain, their throats roaring as Nyruki's eyes instantly shed tears that traipsed down her cheeks. It was the only thing they could think of doing, but there was nothing that would erase the pain that blurred the edges of their vision so badly, that they were forced to look through a haze.

"Aaaahhh! I can't do this! Get it out!" Nyruki cried as her tears swelled to the size of large raindrops.

As Unohana finished tying the wrapping, Byakuya, biting back his own pain, placed a hand on Nyruki's forehead and brought her head back to his right shoulder.

"Ssh... Calm down. Just breath as I do... We'll make it." He whispered through panting breaths as he too, tried to muscle passed the raging fire that burned inside and out.

Nyruki simply cried with quiet sobs, but each hop in her chest sent jolt after jolt through them both that spiked so high, that white splotches began to appear in their vision.

"Breathe with me, Nyruki. You have to cease your crying because you're hurting us both." Byakuya said as he drew in a long breath in hopes that she would follow suit.

Nyruki did. Her breaths crackled from her sobs, but their breathing fell into sync anyways and she concentrated solely on that singular thing. She wanted the pain to go away, to leave her alone, but it refused to listen to her pleas of desperation. The only thing she had to hold onto was her Captain's hand and the sound of his voice in her ear which felt like cold water against the searing heat.

The pain returned however as Unohana and Ukitake helped to lean them back against the wall. Her cries began to build up once more, but Byakuya reacted in kind by tightening his grip on her, his arm wrapped around her and still with his hand on her forehead to keep it against his shoulder.

"Calm down... I'm right here with you... It hurts, but we've got to breathe... It's the only thing we can do... This will pass." Byakuya said quietly, his arm that was wrapped around her waist tightening even more until it wasn't possible for her to be any closer.

Again, Nyruki followed his lead and matched his breathing inhale for inhale, exhale for exhale. Each one served as a much needed distraction and the longer they remained just as they were, as still as the stone around them, the pain finally, mercifully, began to soften into a tolerable smolder.

"I'm sorry. It had to be done." Unohana said softly as Ukitake used the cloth to dab away the beads of sweat that had formed along Byakuya's and Nyruki's brows.

"We know." Byakuya simply nodded as he reached for the water.

However, Ukitake beat him to it and raised the bowl to his lips where he took in a long drag and swallowed in gulps.

"Easy, Kuchiki. Sip it." Ukitake said.

Byakuya soon finished and let his head drop back down once more, where his cheek rested against Nyruki's temple. It was cold against his skin, much like how his felt against her own. He knew they were both in the throws of shock, still, but so long as they stayed awake for the time being, they would be all right.

After Nyruki had taken a much smaller and slower sip from Ukitake's bowl, the two captains went back to the fire with the promise to bring them food once it was done cooking. They were grateful for the space as it provided them with some breathing room as it were, to muscle through the rest of the remaining pain.

"We face an uphill battle no matter what we all decide. Without our Zanpakutōs, I fear we are just prey to those abominations." Ukitake said lowly as he took a short sip of water.

"I think it's probably best we leave them here while we head back." Kyōraku said, laying down on his side with his head propped in a hand. His usual position.

"I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that, Shunsui. They need care." Ukitake said, staring at the crackling fire.

"Yes, but they need it in reality. Not here." Said Unohana softly, seated between Kenpachi and Ukitake.

"I am aware of that, but we have a very large hurdle to jump over. Mayuri has lost his mind to this illusion." Ukitake scoffed.

"Imma beat his ass when we get out of here." Kenpachi gruffed, leaning back on his hands as he watched the meat sizzle over the fire.

"I doubt you're the only one." Hitsugaya said from the other side.

"Be that as it may, we have to come up with a plan." Said Komamura, slowly turning the rack of elk around to cook another side.

"But where to start? We just don't know how Nyruki's inner world works and with her's, as well as Byakuya's lives in her hands, I doubt there's much she can help us with." Ukitake said with another sip.

"Such as?" Kyōraku asked.

Ukitake shrugged, "Perhaps a manifestation of our Zanpakutōs. I doubt their abilities would work, but at least a sword would greatly aid in combating those beasts."

"Why in the world did we have to take them off in the first place?" Soi-Fon grumbled, sitting cross legged and with her arms crossed.

"Why would we have needed them? The nature of this training never called for them." Ukitake said.

"I had a sword up until this point in all my illusions." Kenpachi scoffed.

"Of course you did. Your illusions were centered around combat and you've placed several cuts over Nyruki because of it." Ukitake rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Not my fault." Kenpachi shrugged.

"How is it not your fault? They were your illusions! Your desires!" Ukitake snapped.

"Enough!" Came Byakuya's voice from the cave wall.

The whole group shifted their eyes from each other, to the pair leaning against the wall whom had been quietly listening to them while they muscled through the pain.

"Blame does not matter right now. The only thing that matters is getting us out of this delusion and back to reality where Nyruki and I can be treated. If that requires that you leave us here, than so be it." Byakuya said, let his arm lay limp over her waist.

"That doesn't solve our problem that we don't have anything to fight with, Kuchiki. Bare hands will only get us so far." Kyōraku said.

"Perhaps there's swords to be found inside the ruins." Nyruki said with a soft swallow, still resting her head against Byakuya's shoulder.

"Hey... That's an idea. If his delusion is that complex, there's got to be evidence of battle within the Seireitei." Kyōraku said, sitting up.

"We can sneak back in and search our barracks. Those beasts are mindless, so it won't be difficult to outsmart and cut them down like animals once we have sword in hand." Hitsugaya said stiffly.

"Those abominations are cunning, so do not underestimate them. Bakudō works well, so it is best to bind, then strike." Byakuya said.

"That we can do. What do we do once we get to your Zanpakutō spirit, Nyruki?" Ukitake asked, having turned around to look at them.

"Assuming she's still in the cage, just set her free. She'll do the rest." Nyruki said simply.

"If I may suggest, it might be wise of us to take a look at Captain Kurotsuchi's research before we depart. If this is what he truly desires, then it would behoove us to have an idea of what to look for in case he really is planning something." Said Captain Unohana with her usual soft smile gone from her lips.

"That's a sound idea. I wouldn't be surprised if we conduct a search of the Department of Research and Development after this as well." Ukitake said, furrowing his brow.

"I'll probably just beat his ass. That should do the trick." Kenpachi huffed.

"Perhaps something we can discuss after we escape." Komamura said with a sidelong glance.

"My only remaining concern is the well being of those two. How can we be sure that nothing will happen to them when we're gone?" Ukitake asked.

"I'll protect us. I'm not so weak where I would let something ill befall us... Even in this condition." Byakuya said.

"But-" Ukitake tried, but silenced when Byakuya held up a hand.

"This is not up for discussion, Captain. Just as I have entrusted Nyruki with my life, she has entrusted me with hers. We will be fine." Byakuya said with a soft swallow.

Ukitake simply pursed his lips together for a moment before he nodded, knowing full well there was nothing he could say to change the Captain's mind once it was made up. Byakuya's infallible stubbornness always got in the way.

"Alright. Once we regain our strength, we will head back." Ukitake said with a curt nod.

As silence fell, the only sound being that of the fire, everyone sat and withdrew into their own thoughts as they blindly watched the elk finish cooking over the orange flames. Each took a portion and began to eat, but before even having a taste for himself, Ukitake moved to sit next to Byakuya and Nyruki to help them first. It was usual for him when given the chance to care for someone, instead of being the one to be taken care of.

It wasn't surprising when they only took a few offered tears of the meat, as the pain was still radiating with a fierceness that covered their skin with a dull sheen. They simply weren't hungry and were reserved to sip water instead.

After some time, the twilight outside the cave began to darken as evening fell. The captains rose from their spots around the fire to get a better look and that is when they truly realized that Nyruki's inner world was fully functioning. Only those with the spiritual pressure of the gods could develop such a thing and the only other Shinigami known to have such an inner world, was Head-Captain Yamamoto.

"How much time has passed in reality?" Kyōraku asked, breaking the silence that had taken a strong hold of them all for quite some time.

"We won't know that until we get out of here. It could be hours, days, or weeks." Nyruki said, turning her head just enough to see the group at the cave mouth.

"If that's the case, then your wounds could fester and-" Ukitake said, his voice trailing off.

"You're assuming we're alone still in my training room, Captain Ukitake. I ordered my attendant to check in on us periodically. If he did his job, and he should have, than Squad 4 should already be-" Byakuya said, only to stop short when his breath caught hard in his throat.

In an instant, both he and Nyruki erupted into howls of pain that echoed throughout the cave, writhing against each other as if they were trying to back away from the sudden outburst of pain. Their bodies were alight with the worst kind of fire imaginable, and because of it, both grabbed the javelin as it felt as if their skin was sealing in around it.

"Get it out! Our bodies are being healed!" Byakuya roared, his teeth grit together hard with a visible tension in his jaw.

Ukitake and Unohana rushed to their side as Ukitake forced them to sit up. He held Byakuya's shoulders while Unohana quickly unraveled the wrapping and tore open the cloth around the javelin, confirming that their flesh was, in fact, sealing around it. Their flesh squirmed as it tried to seal, but with the javelin in the way, it had nowhere to go except to rend itself like ripping fabric. Byakuya was right. Their bodies were at Squad 4 and were being healed.

"Get it out!" Byakuya howled as his hands gripped the javelin and he began to pull.

Nyruki screamed and her legs began to thrash as the pain shot skyward. Byakuya was pulling the javelin from their flesh, the wet slurping noise overpowering even the crackle of the flames with each agonizing inch. She dared a glance down at her belly and she immediately wished she hadn't as she saw the healing flesh rip like fresh baked bread, pulling and stretching with blood teetering on the verge of pouring from their bodies.

She slammed her eyes shut as her head threw back against Byakuya's shoulder and her throat ripped with another scream. He pulled far too slowly as his own scream matching hers until the length of javelin popped free, covered in blood that dripped onto the ground with wet splats.

That was the last thing they saw as both mercifully passed out from the pain and went limp.

The javelin hit the dirt with a boney and hollow thunk as it fell from Byakuya's unmoving hands. Their blood instantly began to spurt from the wound and both Unohana and Ukitake rushed to stem the flow. Without a word, they wrapped the long stream of fabric around them again, this time tighter than before, and helped the pair lay down on their sides, curled into each other.

Ukitake removed his captain's haori and rolled it up into a makeshift pillow to place beneath their heads and Unohana covered them with the pink kimono to help keep them warm. It was all they could do for now.

"Are they going to be ok?" Ukitake asked as he brushed locks of their hair from the pair's sweaty and pained faces.

"If their bodies are being healed, then I'd imagine so. They must rest now, so let us leave them be." Unohana said softly as she glanced down at them, tied together to dam their bleeding.

With just a nod, Ukitake sighed as he rose to his feet and went back to the fire. The echoes of their screams haunted his thoughts, moreover, Nyruki's did, bouncing around his skull like someone flash stepping with enough speed to create an after image. He hated the sound, hated to know she was in pain and he couldn't do a thing about it. The only thing that served to give him peace of mind was that she had passed out from it. They both had and Byakuya was known to have an immense amount of endurance and pain tolerance. For him to pass out from pain told Ukitake that it was the worst kind imaginable.

He looked up from his hands as Kyōraku sat down beside him and offered him a cup of water that he took and drank from instantly.

"You gonna make it, Jūshirō?" He asked quietly as the others shuffled around for spots to lay down and rest, all around the fire.

"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about them." Ukitake said with a sigh.

"They'll be fine. Our bodies've been found. How much you wanna bet all of us are at Squad 4." Kyōraku said as he laid down on his side with his head nearest to Ukitake.

"We probably are." Ukitake scoffed, resolving himself to just stare at the dying flames.

"You're still worried about them though." Kyōraku said, knowing full well that the white haired man wouldn't rest until he was sure they were alright.

"Of course. I've grown close to Nyruki in these past four years. She's like the daughter I was never blessed enough to have. To be helpless to do anything for her hurts me more than my attacks ever could." Ukitake said, lowering his voice as the others began to close their eyes for some sleep.

Kyōraku inhaled a long breath and let it out in a sigh, "Jūshirō, she's close to several of us, but I imagine she feels the same towards you. You gave her a home."

Ukitake glanced over at him, "Being able to actually care for someone instead of being taken care of is a breath of fresh air."

"I would've figured you'd grown tired of it since you've been caring for your younger siblings since you were a teenager." Kyōraku said without even looking at him.

"I care for my siblings because it is my duty as well as love. When our parents died, the Ukitake house, as small as it is, was in real danger of collapse if I hadn't stepped up and as the eldest, it was my duty to assume the head of the family." Ukitake said as he rested an elbow on a raised knee and plopped his head in his hand with fingers laced into his hair.

"Your house has served your parent clan for eons, Jūshirō. I highly doubt they would have let that happen." Kyōraku said with a half shrug.

"The Shiba's fell with no one to help them. What's to say my parent house wouldn't just let the cards fall where they may." Ukitake said.

"The Shiba's fell on their own accord and they weren't a serving clan. They were the fifth great noble house. There was no one there to catch them like your house has." Kyōraku said, this time glancing up at his best friend.

"I know. Would your parent house save yours?" Ukitake asked.

"Who knows. My house is older than most of the great houses anyways so they may just say the Kyōraku house is capable of handling their own problems." Kyōraku shrugged.

"I suppose that's true. Regardless, Nyruki will always have a place under the Ukitake roof no matter where she goes. In all our years, you'd think we would have found love by now." Ukitake shook his head.

"Duty came first. You know that." Kyōraku said.

"I do. Seeing them though, like that... It makes me envious that perhaps I've missed out on something important." Ukitake said, glancing back at Byakuya and Nyruki whom hadn't moved an inch. Not like they could.

Kyōraku spared his own glance, "I know you... That visage of Nyruki wasn't your desire, Jūshirō, so why be envious?"

"It's not that the pup is laying with her that makes me envious, Shunsui. It's the prospect of having someone special to lay with, that does." Ukitake said, turning back to the flames.

"Ah," He nodded, "I suppose you know whose desire that visage of her belonged to right?" Kyōraku asked, also turning back to look at the fire.

Ukitake nodded, "I have a suspicion."

"I won't say anything." Kyōraku said.

"Neither will I."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

There was a coolness in the air that bit at her skin, sending small shivers down her back that made her shake. Not even the warmth from behind her that wrapped itself from her neck to her feet was enough to stem the slight shivers from racking through her body.

Her eyes began to flutter open into a cave that was incredibly dark. The fire had long since burnt down to glowing coals and the twilight from outside had turned into complete night. Her eyes barely managed to break through the darkness to see the sleeping forms of the group of captains. She understood their exhaustion and understood the need to sleep. The mental strain they were experiencing was draining their energy far faster than any normal training session ever could in reality.

She tried to sit up, but she was stopped by the cloth wrapping that was tight around her midsection. There was no way she could, especially since that very cloth had her secured to the source of warmth behind her.

As she laid back down, the heavy arm that had been draped over her side tightened its grip and pulled her back down so her head was resting against the rolled haori that served as her pillow. But the pillow was hard and oddly warm and she realized that her head wasn't resting against the haori, but a bicep instead.

"Planning on going somewhere?" Came a soft, deep voice from behind her as the arm tightened around her middle and brought her closer to the warmth that felt like bliss against the chill.

"The fire... I'm freezing." Nyruki said in a whisper.

The warmth began to curl around her more as the arm her head was laying on bent and a hand came to rest on the top of her head. His other arm tugged at the pink kimono that served as their blanket and brought it up higher on their shoulders before coming to lay back over her side.

"Is that better?" He whispered as his fingers threaded through the loose strands of her hair.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes."

"Are you still in pain?" Byakuya asked, the hot breath that his words were carried on splaying across her neck as he spoke.

"I'm sore." She said as she got comfortable against him.

"As am I. The members of Squad 4 must have finished." Byakuya said, his forehead resting against the cushion of Nyruki's messed braid.

"I would think so." Nyruki softly exhaled, "Why are we still tied together then?" She asked after a moment.

"I can only speculate, but it was most likely to keep us from bleeding and buy us time to be healed." He said as his thumb began to stroke her hair.

At the gentle touch, Nyruki softly bit her lip, but ignored the roll in her stomach she thought was nerves, but it morphed into a low growl instead.

"Sorry." She said as her bottom lip slipped from between her teeth.

"Do not apologize for being hungry. With your spiritual pressure, I'm sure it is a constant sensation." He whispered.

"It is," She softly laughed, "Captain Ukitake used to say I was gonna eat him out of house and home when he brought me to the Ugendo for the first time. I had never gotten to eat so much in my life." Nyruki said, raising her arm from the ground to grip her shoulder where her fingers began to play with the hem of shallow V in his top.

"A familiar phrase; One my father used to say to me when I was a boy." Byakuya said, his thumb still softly stroking her hair just above her ear.

Nyruki simply nodded as she turned her head up slightly to bring her temple to his thumb where it continued to gently stroke. Her stomach rolled again, but this time, she was positive it was out of nerves because it smoldered deep in her gut. She was petrified that their closeness, regardless of it being because of their injury and being tied together, was going to make working as his subordinate impossible. She was petrified of the awkwardness, but despite all of that, she felt so comfortable where she was at. She was confused how someone could be scared, but comfortable at the same time and if she had to be honest with herself, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Captain?" She asked as her head sunk down against his arm.

"Hmm?" The low tone of his throat could be felt on the nape of her neck.

"Would it reflect poorly on me if I submit transfer paperwork so soon after being assigned to the 6th?" She asked with the nervous rolls getting stronger.

However, the slightest tightening of her Captain's hold on her was enough to distract her. His thumb stilled against her temple and the arm that lay over her side wrapped around her middle and somehow managed to scoot her closer. The warmth fully washed over her back and it helped so much to stave off the chill of the dark cave.

"Why consider such an action?" Byakuya asked, his thumb beginning to softly stroke once more.

"Because of this. I don't want things to become awkward. I was thinking that... perhaps it would be best I go back to the 13th." Nyruki said, her voice shaky despite being a whisper.

She felt him press his head further into her hair which brought his mouth a breath away from the nape of her neck.

"Survival is nothing to feel awkward about. None here would question that." He said as each word drifted across her skin.

Nyruki gulped and her skin shuttered as it threatened a layer of gooseflesh at the sensation of his breath against her neck. She tried to strong arm passed it, but ultimately, the gooseflesh won and erupted across her skin like a shockwave.

"Are you still cold?" He asked softly, having felt the shutter against him.

Nyruki swallowed, "Y-Yes. The fire is almost dead so there's no heat." She sighed, not actually cold anymore, in fact, she was feeling quite warm, but she was thankful regardless, for the cover story.

"Forgive me, but-" He started, only to silence when he removed his arm that was wrapped around her stomach.

She dared not look, but instead paid attention to the feeling of him shifting behind her. He tugged at the edge of his Shihakushō, slipping the hem from between her fingers and pulled it open to bare skin. His arm quickly returned as he pulled her back to him, her back against his now bare chest and without the cover of cloth, the heat from his skin instantly warmed her back far better than it had been.

"It's as you said, Captain. One must look passed awkward when trying to survive." She said as unbeknownst to her, those very same fingers that had clutched the hem of his top, began to trace short lines on his bare skin.

Neither said anything as the warmth finally began to win the war against the chill. Beneath the pink kimono, it was safe, comforting even, to be wrapped up in and pressed against him regardless of rank and title. She had always been on her own, had only ever relied on herself and to be able to count on others, to trust others, was a fledgling sensation only a few years old. She trusted these people, trusted Captain Ukitake above all else and she had put that same trust on her new Captain that proved to be a wise decision. After all, he did save their lives from the abomination with the face of her mentor and adoptive father. There was no way she couldn't trust him after that.

After awhile of simply laying there with his thumb stroking her temple, Nyruki tilted her head just a bit more. He was close enough to see despite the dark and his liquid silver eyes were closed. His breathing was steady and slow and she assumed he was asleep as she moved her hand from tracing lines on his chest to rest her palm softly against his cheek.

"Thank you for proving that you're worth trusting." She whispered ultra softly, her hand drifting down his soft cheek to his jaw.

She only left her hand there a moment before she took it away and curled into herself, her head resting lazily against his bicep. She closed her eyes and settled in, now warm, and was just on the cusp of drifting off when she felt soft warm lips resting, just resting, not moving, not pressed, just resting against the nape of her neck.

"You're welcome."

* * *

The air was far warmer. Each breath wasn't laced with a night chill from outside. She was still warm, so warm in fact that the desire to wrest herself from the set of arms surrounding her was nearly nonexistent.

However, she had to, as the others had awoken from their sleep and Captain Ukitake was knelt in front of them with his hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake.

"Nyruki? How are you feeling?" He asked calmly and with his trademarked soft smile in place.

She took a moment to analyze herself by gently pressing her hand against her stomach where the javelin had been. The site was sore, but she could freely move.

"Better." She whispered, unsure if the man behind her had awoken as well.

He had.

"As am I. I think we can accompany you all back to the lab to finish this." Byakuya said as his arms relinquished their hold on her.

The arm that had been draped over her side slid up, bringing his hand to splay across her stomach as his fingers snatched up the tied bow of the cloth wrapping and pulled. The fabric instantly released the tension around them both and offered their first glimpse at their flesh that had been so brutally torn.

As she sat up, Nyruki unraveled herself and looked down to inspect her wound, but hadn't been fast enough when Ukitake looked first by gently pushing aside the ripped edges of her top.

"It's not perfect, but it will have to do." Ukitake said as he helped her up before doing the same for Byakuya.

Once on his feet, Byakuya examined his own wound, and it caused a short frown to turn down his lips. Their wounds weren't perfectly healed, as the flesh was rough and angry, but it was sealed and not bleeding. Dried blood covered their skin, having turned from deep crimson to rusty brown and small, jagged edges of flesh kept snagging on their clothes. He knew both needed more time to heal, but that time would come once they were free of the delusional nightmare.

"Is everyone rested?" Byakuya asked as he rewrapped his top and tied his obi sash around his waist.

"Aye, and ready for a fight." Kenpachi said, leaning back against the stone near the mouth of the cave with his arms crossed.

"Are you two going to be able to flash step alright?" Ukitake asked with a soft sigh.

"We'll manage." Nyruki said, managing to return the smile.

"Agreed." Byakuya said simply.

Nyruki's smile broadened for a moment as she shot her Captain a glance just in time to catch the glimpse of a dying smile before he started for the entrance. Her and Ukitake followed suit and joined the group just outside in the warmer air of dawn in the Twilight Forest.

The clouds had returned to their sepia shaded light, and the light haze that kept the gigantic trees shrouded in blackness had softened just enough to separate them all into individual monoliths. The ground was still covered in brown, lifeless leaves and they softly blew in the morning breeze to rustle across the near black dirt.

"I was thinking that our best option to get back inside is to stay above ground. The sewers are deadly with those Mer-Ukitake's controlling the waterways." Kyōraku said as he slipped his hands into his sleeves and gripped his forearms.

"Agreed. Roofs only and once we get to the Squad 1 towers, we'll race up the outside wall to the barred windows." Byakuya said as he rolled his shoulders back to loosen the muscles that had stiffened during the night.

"And if we're faced with more of those creatures?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Anything you can. With any luck, there won't be time to encounter them since we're headed straight for the main tower and staying outside for as long as possible." Ukitake said.

"Then we hope he hasn't amassed them near his lab for protection." Said Komamura.

"Somehow, I doubt he did. He's focused solely on his experiments at the moment." Hitsugaya grumbled as he balled his fists tightly.

"Which is either a good thing, or a bad thing depending on his desired outcome for the 'originals'." Soi-Fon said as she air quoted the word from uncertainty of what exactly, to call their tortured visages.

"Probably full integration with our Zanpakutōs while maintaining our intelligence." Said Byakuya with a clear expression of anger and disgust written into his features.

"How could that possibly benefit him? The moment any of us have that kind of power, we would turn on him in an instant." Hitsugaya said as his white eyebrows pulled together hard.

"Not necessarily, Tōshirō. Did you see us? We were broken; Mere shadows of what we're supposed to be." Ukitake said.

"Jūshirō's right. Our spirits were broken. We were nothing but obedient dogs by that point." Kyōraku scoffed.

"The moment we're out of here, I'm headed to speak with the Head-Captain. He has to know about this." Soi-Fon said angrily.

"Perhaps we are being a bit hasty, Captain Soi-Fon. I think it best we handle this in house." Byakuya said evenly despite his expression and furrowed brows.

"What? You can't be serious!" Soi-Fon barked.

"I am. The Gotei have suffered enough loses in recent events. Losing another Captain to his own delusions would only serve as a detriment and with no one qualified to assume the rank of captain within Squad 12, we're left with self disciplining Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Byakuya explained.

"I'm afraid Captain Kuchiki is right, Captain Soi-Fon. It is our best option." Said Unohana softly.

"Then what do we do?" Soi-Fon asked.

"We will discuss that after we're free of Nyruki's inner world and Mayuri Kurotsuchi's delusions." Byakuya said.

"Lets get going. I'm aching to punch that bastard in the face." Kenpachi said with a heavy scoff from his throat.

With all in agreement, they began their journey southward, flash stepping from massive branch to massive branch, just below the tree tops.

Every movement Nyruki made, the soreness in her stomach spiked, but it was nothing she couldn't muscle through. She had been hurt before, on more than one occasion in fact, from fighting Hollow to training and so on. Being able to move through the soreness was easily done with steady breathing and a healthy helping of stubbornness.

She caught a glimpse from Ukitake as they traveled and it didn't take a whole lot of thinking to know the man was keeping an eye on her to make sure she was alright. The man was so much like a father that no amount of telling herself otherwise could make the smile fade from her face. It was a trait she adored and deep down in her heart, next to the love she held for her late father, there was a wish that Jūshirō Ukitake really was.

It didn't take long for them all to reach the outskirts of the ruined Seireitei with its blackened skies and foul stench. Nothing had changed since their exodus, but the eerie quietness that hung over them was enough to make all their stomachs quiver with uncertainty.

"There is a lot of places for those creatures to be hiding." Kyōraku said as he took his hat from his head and tossed it aside. It wasn't like he was discarding the real thing anyways.

"All the more reason to stick to the roofs." Ukitake said, studying the sight before him for any movement.

As they stood, taking in the scene for a few moments, a bright streak of lightning erupted from the tallest tower of Squad 1, arcing downwards towards the ground. It was gone within the same second it had appeared. However, it was followed by a scream that was carried on the back of the wind that whistled through the ruins. It was distant, but howling, and it echoed off of every single thing the sound could get its hands on.

The scream made Nyruki's skin crawl and she cringed because of it. Her stomach churned and a physical pain ached in her chest the longer she had to listen to it. She didn't care whose it was, didn't care whose throat had created such a sound of desperation. All she wanted was for it to stop.

"Come on. I'm done with this asshole." Nyruki growled before she sprinted forward.

No one refused as they all began to leap from rooftop to rooftop, running along the tops of the walls that hadn't been destroyed and jumping to buildings that had managed to stay standing. Their path was a straight line to the towers and once they reached the base, it was a sprint straight up.

It was a maneuver Nyruki had done on more than one occasion. She solidified her spiritual pressure beneath her feet and used the small invisible footholds to leap higher and higher up the tower's exterior. They all did it, so reaching the high, narrow windows of the tallest tower was as trivial as cutting down a simple Hollow. There were twelve of these windows, enough for each to perch in their own and peer into the lab.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was nowhere to be seen and no one was strapped to the restraint table near the large bank of consoles and monitors. The tanks filled with colored liquid that housed the emaciated captains were quiet as all seemed to be unconscious. All but one, whose tank was empty; Byakuya Kuchiki's tank of white.

"He took your visage somewhere, Captain." Nyruki said as she shot her Captain a worried glance that reflected in his own features.

"Let us hope that he left your Zanpakutō spirit in that cage." Byakuya said as he leapt from the windowsill down to the lab floor.

"Nyruki! Up here!" Came a voice from above them.

Nyruki looked up and a sigh of relief left her lungs at great speed, "Kibōyūwaku! Are you alright?"

"Yes, but you have to get out of here! That madman finished the fusion serum!" Kibōyūwaku yelled from the cage, hanging high above near the ceiling.

"We can't yet! We've got to look through his data so we can make sure he doesn't do this for real!" Nyruki called back.

"No! You don't have the time! The fusion's complete by now! He turned your Captain first!" Kibōyūwaku boomed, her hands tightly gripping the thick bars of the cage.

Nyruki's eyes shot wide, "No-" She exhaled.

"Nyruki's right! We have to search his data!" Ukitake called out.

"By the realms! You people are just as stubborn as she is! Fine! Take these! Their power doesn't work, but at least you can defend yourselves!"

Kibōyūwaku reached through the bars and waved her hand in a wide arc as it became engulfed with the familiar inky black haze they had seen before. It left behind a long band that churned, but even in the low light of the lab, they could see it separate into several long shafts of varying lengths and shapes.

Only moments passed before the inky black shafts shot downward into the floor, sticking straight up as the blackness tightened and its lines became defined into the shape of swords.

"Outstanding!" Kyōraku cheered as he wrapped his hands around the handles of his duel Zanpakutōs and pulled them from the floor.

Each captain found and pulled their respective swords from the floor and tightly gripped them as they inspected the blades. Despite their power not being able to work, as they were simple replicas, at least they had a far better way to defend themselves should the abominations appear.

Byakuya pulled the visage of Senbonzakura from the floor and flipped it upright with a flick of his wrist and grabbed the handle without missing a beat. His fingers never even shuttered as they wrapped around the handle with enough force to crackle his knuckles.

"We do not have much time. Search the databanks." Byakuya said as he swung his blade downwards to his side with a sharp whoosh.

Both Ukitake and Kyōraku ran to the consoles and thrust their blades into the floor before their fingers erupted over the controls in a blur.

"Nyruki! Go to that side room! There should be another set of controls for this cage in there!" Kibōyūwaku called once more, garnishing their attention away from the pair thundering over the consoles.

"What? I thought the controls were over-" Nyruki started, only to set her eyes on the console she had seen the scientist use.

The moment her two different colored eyes were on the console, or what was left of it, her heart dropped. It had literally been cut in half and each half had fallen to the side in a heap of wires that twisted around into hopeless knots.

"What the hell?" Nyruki gasped.

"It happened not long after you fled! The Kyōraku abomination got in a fight with the Ice Ghoul Hitsugaya and swung down! Kurotsuchi killed both of them for it!" Kibōyūwaku said with her fingers curled around the bars once more.

"You are positive there's another set?" Byakuya asked, glancing at the others as they took up defensive positions around the lab.

"Yes! He griped about it long enough! Now go! He's going to be back any minute to get another captain!" Kibōyūwaku yelled.

Before Nyruki could protest any longer, a firm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her along towards the side room whose archway was crammed between two massive sets of metal shelves that were heavy with vials and canisters of varying sizes.

The room was more of a storage room with unused consoles filling a good portion of it's space and covered with heavy canvas. The only console that wasn't covered, was a large monstrosity of a thing with more levers, buttons and switches than any of them had ever seen. It hummed with an irritating buzz that ground on their nerves and Nyruki was sure her grimace matched her Captain's whose grip somehow managed to tighten on his sword.

"What am I supposed to do? Just start flipping switches?" Nyruki grumbled as she stared at the console.

"I don't think that would be wise. Any one of these switches could set off defensive countermeasures and knowing Mayuri Kurotsuchi, that is more likely than not." Byakuya said as he kept an eye on behind them.

"I... I don't know what do, Captain. I really don't." Nyruki sighed as the ache of defeat began to thump in her torso.

"Then we will figure it-" Byakuya started, only to cut himself off when the stillness of the lab shattered.

The sound of swords, battle cries and screeching roars erupted from the main lab in a single breath. Neither needed to see what was happened, as they both knew that the abominations had arrived. Kenpachi's familiar thunderous cry rang through the high ceilings as the clang of his sword and wet squish of spraying blood soon followed. More of the captains cried out as they engaged in battle; Hitsugaya, Soi-Fon, Komamura, all of them swung their swords.

For Byakuya and Nyruki, their eyes raced over the console to find which one would release the cage and allow Kibōyūwaku to be freed so she could release them from this illusionary Hell, but there was no label, no marking of any kind to indicate which lever, button, or switch did what.

However, they didn't get much time to continue.

The sound of combat from behind them was broken by a low, malicious snarl that was far too close, far too near to be good. Both Byakuya's and Nyruki's eyes widened as they slowly turned, coming face to face with the hellion of cuts. It was the demon Byakuya, or at least, another one, with wild and hungry eyes and drooling mouth as he stared, unblinking, at his cornered prey.

Byakuya instantly widened his stance and brought his sword to the ready, gripping it tightly with both hands as he stood in front of Nyruki to shield her.

"Keep searching, Nyruki." He hissed, his eyes never once blinking as he studied the demon's movements.

"But-" Nyruki tried.

"Do it! That's an order!" Byakuya burst out without taking his eyes off of the demon whose incredibly long tongue was slowly sliding out of his mouth.

Nyruki gulped through held breath as she furiously began to work the console, but none of the levers, or switches she used seemed to do anything. Each one produced nothing; No buzz, no hum, no whine and no indication that it was in command of anything. She was starting to panic the more her hands worked the useless toggles.

With a whipping whoosh and a snap, the demon Byakuya lashed his tongue wildly, startling Nyruki to spin around and press back against the console. She stared at her Captain's back as heavy drops of crimson blood began to splat onto the floor. His arms were quivering as his blade began to slip from his grasp.

"C-Captain?" Nyruki breathed, her words broken and stuttering with fear.

Byakuya looked over his shoulder as his sword clattered to the floor, "Stay behind me."

Nyruki peered around him to look at his hands and they had uncurled from around his sword's handle that he had been holding onto so tightly. His hands hung limp from his wrists with deep bleeding cuts across them. No wonder he dropped his sword. He couldn't hold it.

"My tendons are slashed." Byakuya breathed heavily as he locked gazes with the demon whose spine filled hair had begun to bristle.

"C-Captain... I-" Nyruki tried to speak, but her words had caught in her throat.

Both stared at the demon with wide eyes, frozen in place as the spines in his hair stood on end, vibrating, bristling like rain against stone. The demon was preparing to fire those quills as his tongue lapped at cuts that appeared from nowhere and there was nothing they could do. Even if Nyruki went for the sword, she wouldn't be fast enough to pick it up, ready herself and slash before the quills were launched. One of them was going to get hit.

The demon hunched over, his lips smiling as he bowed his head and aimed those bristling quills, pressing his skinny hands into the floor for support.

In an instant, Byakuya wheeled around and slammed his hands against the console, trapping Nyruki between his arms with his back exposed to the demon. Within that same moment, that breath of time that seemed so unimportant in the grand scheme of things, the monster fired his quills with a piercing whistle.

Her eyes locked with her Captain's, all Nyruki could do was watch in horror as quill after quill buried itself, jolting Byakuya forward each time one found its mark. Each hit caused him to grimace in pain as his whole body shook with each wet thunk. He was barely able to keep himself propped up against the console, having to drop to a forearm as the last of the quills buried themselves into his back.

When the barrage finally stopped, Nyruki, with tears filling her eyes, reached up and grasped his head as he leaned forward and looked over his dropped shoulder. She instantly wished she hadn't.

His entire back, from shoulder blade to lumbar, was pin cushioned with dozens of quills. They had so easily pierced his flesh as if they were hot and had buried themselves no less than several inches into his body.

With his forehead against her shoulder, she could feel his shaking as he bit back the pain. She was frozen with fear, frozen with dread and all her eyes could do was watch the demon as he smirked with pride and drool for his upcoming meal.

"F-Find the l-lever." Byakuya choked out through the pain, not lifting his head from her shoulder.

"I... I-I... I can't." Nyruki stuttered, her arms wrapping around him and her hand resting against the nape of his neck.

"You have to... It's the only thing that will save us." Byakuya said with a gulp and a groan of pain.

"I... I-" Nyruki tried, but she couldn't speak.

She was frozen with fear; unable to move. She shook just as much as Byakuya was. She didn't want to see what came next, as she knew that the demon was going to finish them off and if, somehow, they were able to free themselves of this nightmare, her Captain wouldn't be waking up and she would be to blame.

As she began to sob, holding Byakuya close, Nyruki closed her eyes and waited for death to come.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

There was supposed to be pain. There was supposed to be blood. But there wasn't any, other than what was seeping from Byakuya's wounds on his back and from between his lips.

Somehow, Nyruki found the courage to open her eyes and what she saw she had not expected to see. The demon Byakuya lay dead on the floor with his head unnaturally cranked to one side and his throat was ripped out. The bones of his spine stuck out like broken tree trunks from the sick flesh, bleeding black all over the floor and with his tongue laying motionless through the growing puddle beneath him.

Standing above the body, hunched over in pain, was another demon Byakuya, but this one was different. The long whip like tongue didn't hang from his mouth and his eyes, those still black and red eyes, held a consciousness behind them. He stared with blurry eyes at them, his sunken features grimacing and twitching with pain, but those very same eyes were glassed over with tears that threatened to fall at any moment.

He tightly gripped his upper arm and his claws dug into his pale, unhealthy flesh, leaving weeping scratches behind that he entirely ignored. He wanted nothing to do with them like the other demons. He paid them zero mind and just stared at them.

"C-Captain?" Nyruki said as she coaxed his head to rise from her shoulder.

Byakuya gulped as he turned his head enough to look over his shoulder at the new creature, unwilling to step aside and leave her open to attack should the creature be just as hostile as the rest.

"Y-You're different." Byakuya said through his pain, unable to stand up straight from the thick peppering of quills in his back.

He began to sink down and the only reason he didn't hit the floor hard, was because Nyruki had an iron grip on him and helped to lower him down to his knees.

The demon Byakuya nodded, "Y-Yes." He said, his voice laced with an undertone beneath what would be his normal voice.

"You're the one from the tank." Nyruki said, holding onto her Captain as he slumped over against her, turning to the side just enough to keep his blurry eyes on the creature.

Again, the demon nodded, "Y-Yes... H-He did this to me... C-Changed me into this." He said, his voice shaking as his grip on his arm tightened.

"W-What is he doing?" Byakuya asked, finally shift himself enough to throw an arm over her shoulder for support.

"H-He's fusing us with our-" The demon started, but groaned in pain as more cuts appeared across his flesh, "He's fusing us with our Zanpakutōs, but he's not just fusing us with our Shikai... Some of us he's fused with our Bankai." He finished as those threatening tears began to fall.

"You're fused with yours." Nyruki breathed, planting a hand on Byakuya's chest to help support his weight.

"Y-Yes... Senbonzakura is ripping me apart from the inside. Every vein, every fiber of my being is in pain that won't stop." The demon Byakuya said with a voice so shaky that Nyruki was sure he would break down and sob at any moment.

"S-Senbonzakura is your blood." Said Byakuya, hunching over more from the pain spiking in his back.

The demon nodded, "Yes... The pain... It screams all over... My veins are filled with billions of tiny blades that cut indiscriminately." He dropped to his knees hard into the growing pool of black blood.

"Your cuts." Nyruki exhaled.

The demon Byakuya growled as his whole being was racked with the persistent, never ending pain. He wrapped his long arms around his middle and curled over, the tears pouring from his eyes to splat and mix with the black blood on the floor.

"H-How do we open the cage? Can you tell us?" Nyruki asked as she tightened her hold on him to keep him somewhat upright.

"I-If I tell you, will you p-promise to kill me?" Asked the demon, his chest hiccuping with sobs.

"Why? This is all an illusion." Byakuya said as a drop of blood from his lips dripped from his chin to land on his captain's haori.

"N-Not to me... T-To me, I've survived this horror." The demon Byakuya cried.

"Then why die if you know we will just end it?" Byakuya asked, breathing heavily as he slipped forward and pressed his shaky hand into the floor.

"She couldn't do it... She tried, but she couldn't do it... She came for me, came to rescue me, but he caught her and experimented on her until she screamed... He wanted to keep her to fuse her with her Zanpakutō, but he deemed it worthless and just used her to harvest spiritual energy... He bled her dry to fuel his experiments on us!" The demon Byakuya howled as a large, sweeping cut appeared across his chest.

"Who?" Nyruki asked, sparing a glance at Byakuya, whose eyes had become half lidded from his slipping consciousness.

"H-He knows... Please... End it for me. Let me see her again." The demon wept; a defeated man with nothing left to spare.

"Tell us which switch." Byakuya coughed.

"T-That one... That blue lever... That will release the spirit." The demon said, pointing a shaking, claw tipped finger at the console.

Nyruki spared a glance behind her and saw the lever. She reached up and pulled it, immediately being rewarded with a loud metal clink of chain that drowned out the sounds of battle in the main lab. All they could do now was wait for Kibōyūwaku to end the nightmare they were trapped in.

"T-Thank you." Nyruki said, returning her hand to Byakuya's chest just as he began to fall over.

"P-Please... K-Kill me... I-I do not have the strength to keep fighting when I know she's gone." The demon begged, his sobs lessening, but only because his painful grimace worsened as he gripped himself tighter to hold himself together.

"That sounds familiar." Byakuya said as he held back a groan of pain rising in his throat.

"I-It took so long to move on, but I finally did... I was finally able to smile again only to have this happen... He took her from me and made me watch... I was powerless to help her as she called for me... Begged me to save her... She died looking into my eyes and I went through all the pain all over again." The demon said, his sobs hopping hard in his chest as more tears fell.

"S-Shut up." Byakuya growled through lightly clenched teeth, what remained of his strength quickly fading.

"K-Kill m-me."

"Shut up! Do not speak another word! You are not the real me! You are an illusion dreamt up by that sycophantic, masochistic psychopath! You are a figment of _his_ deluded imagination, not mine!" Byakuya barked with the hardest angry sneer across his face, his grip on Nyruki's shoulder tightening even more in his desperate attempt to stay upright.

The outburst sent him into a fit of coughing, as blood sprayed from his mouth with each wretch. The cloth of his back was striped in red, and the quills shook painfully each time he coughed. Kibōyūwaku needed to work fast and Nyruki knew it. Her Captain was dying in her arms.

"Please... Kill me!" The demon pled, his desperation painfully clear in his black and red eyes.

"If you are anything like me than you would do it yourself and die with dignity." Byakuya said coldly.

At those words, the demon's pained expression faded into blankness, a slate of nothing with eyes unseeing. He stared at the floor as if it wasn't there, as if they were hovering in midair.

"Y-You're r-right... I had forgotten... Consumed by my own misery to see that truth," The demon said as he shifted his eyes to stare into Byakuya's, "Don't let it happen to you."

In a burst of speed, the demon Byakuya picked up the fallen sword and thrust it through his own neck, spraying black blood all over the walls and floor. His eyes were wide with the last of the tears falling free, clinging to what was left as he fell backwards. The last of him faded, leaving two corpses on the floor before them, one with his throat ripped out and the other with a sword through his neck.

Nyruki hadn't realized as she watched, but she had held her breath. Her lungs burned with the ever present need for air, so she allowed it as she finally began to take short breaths, still clinging to the dying man leaning into her side.

His own eyes were fixated on the visage of himself laying dead. His anger was still on his face, his brows drawn down hard and jaw still tensed. The more she watched, the more she came to determine that he too, was holding his own breath.

"Captain?" Nyruki finally spoke as she every so gently shook his chest to garnish his attention.

At the sudden movement, Byakuya finally blinked and relaxed his brow as he glanced at her from the corner of his pained eye.

"Now, we wait." He said in a whisper, his breathing shallow and labored.

Nyruki grabbed a fistful of his sleeve as she allowed him to slump, bringing his upper half across her lap to cradle him with his front facing her. His head had fallen against her forearm with his face propped into the crook of her elbow and his arms lay limp at his side with one falling behind his back to painful knock against the quills.

"You have to stay awake, Captain." Nyruki said as she brushed aside locks of his hair to clear his face.

"I... I-" He tried, but his breath caught firm in his throat.

"Why did you do it?" She asked, suddenly realizing what she had asked, as it had been the same question he had asked her.

Byakuya turned his head up just enough to look at her with both his eyes, "B-Because... You are our only chance... If you die... we all die."

"C-Captain, I-" She tried, but the arm that laid limp over his back had risen and had placed bloody fingers against her lips.

"Ssh-... There isn't time for words." Byakuya said as his fingers fell from her lips, as his arm had gone limp.

"There's got to be something I can do. You can't die here. You can't!" Nyruki said loudly, her grip on him tightening as her eyes glassed over.

However, Byakuya didn't say a word as his short breaths brushed over the skin of her arm. He simply looked at her with his silver, half-lidded and pain filled eyes.

"Do you trust me?" Nyruki asked, her thumb beginning to gently stroke his temple.

Byakuya simply nodded.

With that as her answer, Nyruki's spiritual pressure began to bleed over him.

* * *

Nyruki shot bolt upright, her skin coated with sweat and her face streaked with tears. It was dark, cool with an ultra soft breeze that fluttered in through an open window like a butterfly's wings. The curtains fluttered against it in silence, brushing up against her skin with the barest of touches. She wiped her eyes clear and dried her cheeks on the blanket that had fallen from her chest and finally took a look around.

She was laying in a bed in a small dark room in the Squad 4 medical facility, wearing only the bandage wrappings that wrapped around her chest. Her entire body hurt and she looked down to examine where the javelin wound had been. Her belly was wrapped in more bandages and her upper arm where she had been cut on the door had also been wrapped. Her hair, which was down and entirely loose, was sweat clumped and felt chalky against her skin like she hadn't bathed in several days.

She looked to a small table next to her bed and found her hair tie that she immediately put to use as she tied up her hair into a sloppy bun. The parts of white amongst the jet black instantly fell free, but for the most part, the gross mess was out of her way.

As she took in a long breath to help clear her head, Nyruki swung her legs off the bed and took her time to steady herself on her feet as she rose. The floor was cold against her bare feet and with no sandals anywhere, she simply had to endure it. She found a thin robe hanging from a hook on the other side of the small end table and immediately wrapped herself in it, tying the sash around her waist in a simple bow with long ends that reached all the way to her knees.

She softly padded to the door and opened it without making a sound. The hallway was dark, only lit with a few small lights along the walls that glowed just enough orange to see where her feet would fall. She could see no one and for that, she was grateful. She only wanted to find out if the captains, as well as her own, were alright. She ultra softly shut the door behind her and began to walk, stopping at the next room to see a name handwritten on a tag that was pinned on a plaque, next to the door.

 _Captain Retsu Unohana: Do Not Disturb!_

 _Authorized Personnel Only!_

She continued tiptoeing down the hall to the next door with the same tag printed with a different name.

 _Captain Shunsui Kyōraku: Do Not Disturb!_

 _Authorized Personnel Only!_

She continued like that without a word, stopping at each door to see whom was inside until she reached a door with a name tag that made her stop.

She quietly wrapped her hand around the knob and turned it without a sound and slowly opened the door into the darkened room. She peered inside, sighing softly in relief as the man slept soundly in his bed, with the blanket over his chest and tucked underneath his arms with long white hair splayed out across his pillow.

She stepped inside and shut the door just as quietly as she had opened it before tiptoeing to his bedside and grasping his hand.

The sudden touch was enough to spur him awake as his dark eyes began to flutter open with the snowy silver light of the moon dancing across his face.

"N-Nyruki?" Ukitake breathed, his voice only a whisper as his fingers curled around her hand.

"Hey, Papa. We made it." She smiled as she gently sat down on the edge of the bed, still grasping his hand and resting it in her lap.

"It looks like it." he said as he took in a long breath and tried to sit up.

However, Nyruki pressed her hand into his chest to keep him down, an action he did not refuse as even in the dark, she could see the grimace and the thread thin, but red line across his chest through his identical robe.

"You're hurt." She said softly with a frown.

"Courtesy of the Shunsui creature, but it is nothing to fear. It is barely deep enough to turn red. Despite my sickly appearance, I can still move." He said as he tugged her hand to hold it against his chest, over his heart.

"How did everyone else fair?" She asked, stroking her thumb over the meat of his hand.

"A few cuts, but we were all standing when everything just... ceased to exist." Ukitake said as his other hand rose to blanket hers.

"Good. I need to find Captain Kuchiki. Have you gotten up yet?" She asked.

Ukitake shook his head, "No. This is the first time I've opened my eyes."

"He was hurt really badly. I don't know if any of the medics know yet." Nyruki said as the barest of stings began to build behind her eyes.

"Then go. Find him. I'll be alright." He said as he raised his hand and clutched the back of her neck, bringing her down to his shoulder in a soft embrace and softly kissed her temple.

"I love you, Papa." Nyruki whispered as her arms wrapped around him as best they could.

"I love you too, Flower. I cannot describe my relief that you're alright." Ukitake said, smiling as he hugged her.

"The same goes for you." Nyruki said, placing her own kiss to his cheek before sitting up.

"Go on. If he is as injured as that look on your face suggests, he needs you." Ukitake said, releasing his hold on her.

"Get some rest, Papa." She said, tucking a lock of his white hair behind his ear.

Nyruki left the room as quietly as she had entered and continued down the hall until she reached a room with a name she didn't recognize. She passed it and had reached the end where she could go no further, not having found the room with the name tag she was looking for.

She turned around and headed back the way she had come, passing Ukitake's room, passing hers, until finally, on the opposite end, being the last room, she found it.

 _Captain Byakuya Kuchiki: Do Not Disturb!_

 _Authorized Personnel Only!_

 _Intensive Care!_

She held her breath as she pressed her ear to the door and heard the ultra soft groans from inside. He was in pain and could feel it crawling along her skin even from the other side of the door. His spiritual energy was trembling from it.

She gripped the knob and opened it into an identical room with the same furnishings as hers and the same colors and in the same moonlit darkness. Her eyes turned to the bed where he lay and he was slowly writhing beneath the blanket, his face pained and his eyes closed. She could see a small thin line of blood on his chin and that was all she needed to know that his new wounds had not been treated.

She stepped inside and closed the door without a sound and quietly padded to his bedside where she sat down on its edge and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Captain? Captain, wake up." She whispered with a gentle shake.

He continued to writhe beneath her hands and his throat softly shuttered from the just as soft groans as he tossed his head from side to side with a pained grimace across his face. He tried to grip her wrists, but his fingers were no good. They refused to move as the slow creep of blood trickled down his arms from the slices in his flesh.

"Captain Kuchiki? Please wake up. It's me." Nyruki said, still in her low voice as she continued to gently shake him.

Suddenly, his eyes flew open with a sucking gasp as he shot up, his arms instantly wrapping around her with his palms and wrists aimed to the ceiling. He buried his face into her shoulder where she could feel the slick of his cold sweat across his face and neck, actually being thick enough to smear and dampen her own skin.

She remained as still as possible, mostly from the start of him waking up so suddenly and having grabbed onto her as if he were having a night terror, which wasn't too far from the truth. She couldn't blame him at all, so her arms made their way around him and her hand rested against the nape of his neck where she ever so softly began to rock from side to side, holding him close.

"Ssh-" She exhaled, "It's ok. We're out now. It's me." She whispered into his ear as she just held him, his whole form shuttering from his tremors.

Even in the moonlight, she could see his shaking and not just feel it. He was quivering, shivering even and each exhale was just as shaky as his body was. He was freezing to the touch and the only thing that served to break up the chilled feeling of him was the heat that peppered his back.

She peered over his shoulder and down at her hand that had come to rest against his back. Her palm was smeared with blood from the punctures and the sheet that he had been laying on was stained. His blood had soaked through his robe and onto the bed.

"We need to take care of your wounds, Captain." She whispered as she ignored the blood on her hand and softly grasped his shoulders.

However, he made no attempt to move from her arms as he continued to breath with short, quick sucks of air, his arms tightening around her as if he was scared to let her go. He was still trapped in the thralls of his night terror.

"Captain... Hey, it's ok. We're ok." She whispered once more as she again softly pushed on his shoulders.

This time, he obeyed, but only just. He still leaned into her hands as he raised his head to look at her with glossy eyes and wrists aimed at the ceiling.

"N-Nyruki?" He croaked out, his hair falling nearly completely in front of his face.

"Yes." She said with a hand resting on his chest, over his heart that was thundering like a beating drum.

He tried to use a limp hand to brush aside some hair, "I... I can't move my hands." He said as he visibly tried to bend his fingers that wouldn't move.

"I know. Here... Let me help." She said as she took the task of brushing aside the locks upon herself and tucked a few behind his ear to clearly reveal his pained face.

"Heal me." He whispered, staring at his useless hands shaking in front of him.

"We'll get you cleaned up, Captain." She said softly as she supported his wrists in her hands, still with his palms up.

"Please... Heal me." He said softly with shaky breaths.

Nyruki exhaled, "Ok. Let me see if I can find some-"

"You do it." He interrupted as he finally looked up at her with his breathing evening out.

"Me? C-Captain, that's not really my strong suit. You saw when I tried to fix up your shoulder. It was pathetic." Nyruki said, still holding his wrists gently.

"You need the practice." Byakuya said simply.

Nyruki blew out a nervous breath as she carefully rolled the sleeves of his robe back to keep them out of the way of his wrists. The cuts were long and deep, cutting just enough to sever his tendons and render his hands useless. The blood dripped from his skin to silently dropped onto his blanket and the mere sight of it was enough to completely convince her that there was no time to search for someone else. She needed to do it even if the only outcome was to stop the bleeding.

"Alright." She nodded.

"C-Clear your mind and breathe. Let the positive energy flow from your vents." He said softly as he watched her and continued to tremble.

She nodded again as she calmly began to take in breaths, cool and collected, and brought her hands up to hover just above the cuts on his wrists. She thought of nothing, of no one, she simply concentrated on letting her spiritual energy trickle from the subtle vents in her wrists just as he had said.

Before long, the soft blue colored glow began to radiate from her palms, lighting his skin just enough to catch a glimpse of the sweat that had left behind a satin sheen. She could feel the warmth from just her hands and even in the low light, the sudden shutter that racked through him that grew a thin layer of gooseflesh along his arms was not lost.

"Are you alright?" She asked, watching him closely to see the barely visible shivers that had begun to rocket throughout his entire body.

"Yes. Just cold." He said as he watched his wrists.

"Here, lets cover your shoulders." She said as she dropped her hands and let the glow vanish.

She grabbed the blood stained blanket from his lap and pulled it behind him before she reached around and tugged it up to cover his quivering shoulders. She wrapped it around him enough to cover him, but left his forearms exposed so she could continue her work.

"Is that better?" She asked, still fiddling with the blanket so it was closed around his chest.

"Yes." He hunkered down into the blanket.

"How come you're cold? Am I not doing this right?" Nyruki asked as she returned her attention to his wrists.

"I am always cold when I'm being healed. Don't you remember?" Byakuya asked with eyes shifting up to look at her.

"Remember?" Nyruki blinked.

"Two years ago when you cut me." He said.

Nyruki instantly remembered what he was talking about. It had been so long ago it seemed. In fact, it was two years ago and she had pushed the memory from her mind, but now, he having mentioned it, she remembered it like she had found an old picture.

 _ **Two years ago**_

 _"An enemy always has an opening, Nyruki Sawada! If they say they do not, then they are lying! Look for it!" Byakuya called to her from the opposite side of the training ground with a swirling mass of pink pedals surrounding him like a tornado._

 _"How am I supposed to find it when you're covered in those?" Nyruki called back, gripping her Zanpakutō tightly in both hands._

 _"Look passed Senbonzakura! Look through the blades!" Byakuya answered._

 _Nyruki grit her teeth together as she watched the swirling of his thousand blades, fluttering and shining with the soft pink of cherry blossoms. It was as beautiful as it was deadly, elegant and wondrous. Truly befitting such a man who held his head high with rank and title and brimmed with a pride that bordered on arrogance._

 _But she needed to learn to fight, learn to take advantage of every opening offered in order to defeat her opponents, training, or otherwise. She needed to see, needed to look passed the deadly pink storm and she only had seconds to do it._

 _With a rustling whoosh, the blades of Senbonzakura rushed out from their master, eager to rend her flesh. She flash stepped away and rushed for her opponent, her sword at the ready when she saw it. His posture was slightly off with his left arm raised. He had used his hands to command Senbonzakura to increase the speed. There it was; Her opening, behind the shield of his deadly pink rampage._

 _With a single slice, Nyruki brought her blade across her chest and planted her feet in the dirt to come to a halt behind him. Her arm dripped with fresh blood from having not dodged all of Senbonzakura's blades, but the harsh splash of blood from behind her whirled her around._

 _She had cut Captain Byakuya Kuchiki deep in his side._

"I remember." Nyruki said with the soft energy beginning to shrink the slices in his flesh.

"Then you remember how warm my room was when you and Captain Ukitake came to visit." Byakuya said.

 _ **Two years ago.**_

 _ **Squad 4 Medical Facility**_

 _Nyruki walked with hands clinging to a small pot that had been dyed a midnight blue and hand painted with a crescent moon. The pot had become the home of a small sapling, a tiny little twig of a thing she had found trying to grow amongst the shadows of larger trees near the Academy grounds. She felt sorry for the little thing, and decided to give it a chance by offering it as a gift; A tiny, little cherry blossom tree so far from home._

 _Her and Captain Ukitake reached the room and entered with a soft knock, only to be smacked in the face by a wave of heat that felt like they were standing too close to a raging fire._

 _"Holy realms is it hot in here." Ukitake gasped as he fanned himself with the hem of his captain's haori in an attempt to cool off._

 _"It's comfortable." Said Byakuya, sitting up in his hospital bed with a stack of pillows behind his back for support._

 _"It's a sauna." Nyruki tried not to laugh, but it happened anyways._

 _Byakuya shifted his gaze from his book to glare at his visitors, "I assume you have come for another reason other than to make fun of my preferred temperatures."_

 _"Of course! Flo- uh... Nyruki felt terrible for causing such an injury that she wanted to bring a peace offering she found trying to grow near her dorm at the Academy." Ukitake said as he pulled up a chair and sat down._

 _Byakuya softly closed his book and looked at the small pot in Nyruki's hands, "A tree?"_

 _Nyruki's cheeks burned with a rising blush, or was it the heat, she wasn't positive, "Mmhmm. It's a cherry blossom sapling... I think." She said, holding out the small pot._

 _Byakuya reached out and took the pot from her and examined the small plant, "It is. Barely old enough to break ground. Thank you." He said as he tried to turn himself to put the pot on the side table, but stopped as the sharp ache began to thunder in his side._

 _Nyruki snatched the pot from his hands and set it down on the table for him, relieving him of the task of having to turn._

 _"Thank you." He said as he turned straight once more._

 _"I'm really sorry for cutting you like that, Captain." Nyruki said as a nervous roll began to throb in her gut._

 _"Don't be. You did exactly as I wished you to." Byakuya said as he just looked down at the cover of his book resting in his lap._

 _"W-What?" Nyruki said with a small gasp._

 _"I purposefully opened myself for a strike with the hopes that you would see it and you did." Byakuya said simply._

 _"But-" Nyruki tried._

 _"It is training, Nyruki Sawada. If we train as if it is the real thing, than when we are faced with it, we are prepared." Byakuya said, having raised a hand to interrupt her._

 _"In reality, all battles are the real thing. Training, or otherwise." Ukitake added._

 _Byakuya nodded, "You did well, Nyruki Sawada."_

 _Nyruki's blush burned harder, "T-Thank you, Captain Kuchiki!" She bowed._

Nyruki softly smiled as she continued to heal his wrists. The cuts had shrunk down to small slits, but they were still angry and red. The bleeding had stopped and she was pleased that they were somewhat healing, but she doubted just how far she could take it. She wasn't sure she could heal them entirely.

"Yes. I remember that too. Hotter than the pits of Hell it was." She softly laughed low in her throat.

"And it should be in here as well once I get ahold of someone to increase the temperature." Byakuya said as another shiver threatened to shoot through him.

However, between the warmth on his arms and the coolness of the air around him, the shiver came anyways and spiked another layer of gooseflesh over his skin. All of it.

"This does not feel pleasant with these wounds." Byakuya said as he rode out the shiver by closing his eyes and lowering his head to muscle passed the pain from his back.

"I can imagine. I don't think I'll be much longer anyways. I'm just not good enough at this to heal them completely." Nyruki said with a sigh as the cuts hadn't progressed any further.

With another sigh, and a bit of a displeased frown, Nyruki allowed the soft glow to vanish and she softly pressed her fingers into his flesh around the cuts.

"I'm afraid this is the best I can do, Captain. How does that feel?" She asked, dropping her hands into her lap.

Byakuya didn't say anything as he focused on curling his fingers. It was slow, painful, but this time, they moved and even curled completely into loose fists.

"Far better than before." He said simply as he relaxed his hands.

Nyruki softly smiled as she stood, "Lets get some bandages on them before I start on your back."

She rummaged through the few drawers and cupboards in the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she found a few rolls of bandages, a spare robe and an extra set of bed linens tucked in the cupboard underneath the side table. She set the clean rope and bed linens on top and sat back down in front of him where she used a corner of the stained blanket to wipe away the blood before wrapping each wrist in the bandages.

"That too tight?" She asked as she tucked the end of the bandage in to secure it.

"No. That is adequate." He said in a whisper with another flex of his fingers.

"Good. Now... Your back." Nyruki sighed.

As she rose and carefully sat down on the bed behind him, she clutched the blanket and tugged it from his shoulders as much as he didn't want her to. He didn't refuse and allowed the blanket to fall, revealing his bloody robe covered back riddled with dots of blood from shoulder blade to the small of his back.

"By the realms-" She exhaled as she ever so carefully began to peal the soiled robe away from his skin.

"I'm sure it looks as bad as it feels." Byakuya said, still lightly shivering as he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"It's... It's not good." Nyruki said, continuing to roll the robe away from his skin.

The robe, thankfully, easily pulled away, fully revealing the dozens of punctures that peppered his back. Each one was the size of a pen, almost as if someone had taken one and repeatedly stabbed him in the back with it, over and over again. Blood trickled down his pale flesh, but didn't make it very far as she used the same stained blanket to clean it away.

With the lingering blood gone, Nyruki hovered her hands over his skin as she allowed the same warm glow to return from her palms. The moment the warmth touched down, he was racked with another shiver and with a larger swath of flesh within her view, there was no mistaking the gooseflesh that erupted across the pale landscape.

"I'm sorry, Captain." Nyruki whispered, feeling bad for adding to how cold he felt.

"I-It's alright. I'll endure." Byakuya said with a noticeable chatter in his teeth.

Nyruki softly smiled and continued to work at healing his wounds. It took some time, all of it filled with silence, but as the moon rose high enough to beam the full force of its etherial light into his window, the punctures had shrunk and closed to the point where they were harsh welts.

There was only one last step and that was to wrap his torso with bandages to keep the fabric of his robe from chaffing against his still angry wounds. She grasped the first roll and began to wrap him, looping the bandage around each shoulder and encircled his entire torso until each spot was firmly covered where she secured it by tucking the end at his side.

"There. It's not perfect, but I hope that's better." Nyruki said with a tired sigh. She felt exhausted.

"It is." He said with another shiver.

Nyruki stood and picked up the new robe from the side table, "Here... I'll change the bedding while you put this on."

Byakuya nodded as he turned to set his bare feet on the floor, which only served to send yet another shiver through his entire body that she saw in the width of his shoulders. He stood, albeit slowly, and took the robe from her, but as he untied the sash around his waist to change, Nyruki, with cheeks burning, focused purely on changing the bedding.

After a tense moment, for her at least, the bed was clean with fresh linens and Byakuya was covered with a clean robe. He sat back down and swung his legs beneath the fresh blanket, but his teeth still chattered and what flesh that was still exposed was still layered in gooseflesh that was clear in the moonlight.

"I don't think there's another blanket, Captain." Nyruki said softly as she balled up the soiled bedding and robe and set them down in the chair against the wall.

"T-There isn't." He said through his chatters as he laid down and curled into himself on his side, facing the window.

The sight actually caused a physical ache to throb in her chest at seeing him so helpless and so weak. The man was the embodiment of strength, of power, whose very words could shatter the resolve of any opponent, but here, wounded, exhausted and shivering with cold, he was vulnerable.

"You need to be kept warm." Nyruki sighed softly as she sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"I'll survive." Byakuya said with a muffled voice, having buried his face in the blanket.

Nyruki's cheeks burned as she thought about what she was doing. She released a sigh and ignored the nervous roll twitching in her stomach as she maneuvered over his legs to sit on the other side, nearest the window.

"Then survive you shall, but I'm not leaving while you're shivering." Nyruki whispered as she tugged the blanket out from underneath her.

With the blanket over them both, Nyruki laid down on her side with her back to him and pressed back against him. His arm came to rest over her side and pulled her tight to his chest without hesitation, telling her that his desire for warmth outweighed his desire to avoid any awkwardness. She could feel just how cold he was, his shivers never ceasing, but his slow breathing was hot against the back of her neck when he buried his face in its crook.

His other arm had snaked its way underneath her head, resting her ear against his bicep where she could hear the subtle thump of his pulse beneath her temple. It was calm, steady, the pulse of someone whom was about to fall into a dreamless sleep. His shivering was subtle against her back, but as her body heat warmed the cocoon beneath their blanket, it slowed until it was nearly gone.

Here, in reality, and again in his arms, that same sensation of safety returned. She felt like nothing in the world could reach her, that nothing could harm her. She felt completely encased in an impenetrable shield and she didn't know why. There was just something about having him close that eased any worry, any tension, any doubts, within her mind.

She was safe there in the embrace of the camellia flower, bathed in the silver moonlight and finally free of the Twilight Forest. Her only question now, was what would come with the morning.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Late morning. It had to be.

The sun shone in through the window like it was purpose built do shed its warmth over his skin. It felt nice, relaxing even, and even with the blinding light beaming on his eyes, he simply didn't want to open them. He was perfectly content to just lay there until the moon returned.

However a soft knock at his door forced him to open those very eyes.

"Come in." He said softly and he rolled to his side and wrapped his arms around his pillow to shield his face from the sun's rays.

"Captain Ukitake? It's me." Said the familiar voice of Captain Unohana from behind the slightly open door.

"Do I have to wake up? I'm comfortable." Ukitake whined as he buried his face further into the fluff.

"I'm afraid so, Captain. I was hoping to check you for wounds." She said, stepping inside and closing the door.

"Nothing serious. Just this paper cut on my chest." He said as he peaked up at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh? Up you go. Let me see it." Unohana said as she jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

With a groan, Ukitake finally wrested himself from the confines of his bed and sat up, letting the blanket fall from his chest to reveal the cut.

Unohana immediate took a look at it, and it was so light that she deemed it unnecessary to even heal it. It would heal up on its own without so much as a blip in his flesh in a few days time.

"Do I pass?" Ukitake asked, smiling and combing his fingers through his hair that felt heavy and not at all what it was supposed to feel like.

"I think so. I woke up a bit ago and have been getting reacquainted with squad business. I'm afraid we are missing some time." She said, her smile fading.

"How much?" Ukitake asked, his too fading from his face.

"A week."

"What? A week! You can't be serious!" Ukitake reeled.

"I'm afraid so. My lieutenant has told me that we were brought here some time ago. Five days ago in fact." Unohana said, whose hair was wet from having freshly bathed. Ukitake was jealous, as that was exactly what he wanted to do.

"Five days? This can't be... That means we all lost a week's worth of training because of what happened." Ukitake said as he let out a long, disappointed sigh.

Unohana nodded, "That would be correct."

Ukitake rubbed the back of his neck, "Have you seen any of the others?" He asked.

"I am about to check now. Are you feeling up to accompanying me?" She asked with a returning smile.

"Yes. I will do that." Ukitake said.

He tossed off his blanket and rose to his feet, bringing him high above Unohana's head. He adjusted his robe to wrap it around him snuggly before plucking his captain's haori from the hook and putting it on. The extra layer was welcomed to hide just how disheveled he was, as it hid most of the length of his knotted hair behind the collar.

They left his room and stepped into a rather quiet hallway with only a few members of squad 4 scattered about. At the far end of the hallway, a lone member rolled a cart laden with trays of food that instantly made his stomach growl.

"Ooo... Food." He drooled as he followed Unohana down the hall in the opposite direction.

"We will get something to eat soon, after I check on everyone else." Unohana said sweetly, but her voice held a darker undertone, one that everyone knew not to cross.

"Yes, Ma'am." Ukitake said without a breath between his words.

They went all the way to the other end of the hall to the last room marked with a red tag.

 _Captain Byakuya Kuchiki: Do Not Disturb!_

 _Authorized Personnel Only!_

 _Intensive Care!_

Ukitake read the tag and groaned, "Intensive care? From his stomach wound?" His voice was low.

"Yes. Isane told me that both he and Nyruki Sawada were in pretty bad shape. It took quite some time and multiple members to seal their wound and even then, they were less than pleased with its outcome." Unohana said.

"How so?" He asked.

"According to Isane, the wounds refused to completely heal. I assume perhaps it is because the javelin was still punctured through them. They have been monitoring both Captain Kuchiki and Nyruki Sawada carefully." She said, clasping her hands together.

"I see." Ukitake said.

"However, Isane did report that their condition was improving." Unohana smiled.

"Good. Shall we?" Ukitake said, raising an arm towards the door.

Unohana nodded as she grasped the knob and turned, propping the door open just enough to peak inside, but the moment she did, she froze and simply stared in the doorway.

"Retsu? What's wrong?" Ukitake asked, trying to peer over her, but unable to get a good look inside without wrapping himself around the small woman.

Unohana said nothing before she closed the door as quietly as possible and with a look on her face that was exceedingly rare; Her eyes were a bit wider than normal with mild shock.

"Retsu?" Ukitake asked, feeling a bit impatient mixed with worry.

"Perhaps you should peak for yourself." Unohana finally said.

Ukitake's black brows pulled together as he grasped the knob. He just as quietly opened the door, again just enough to peak inside and what he saw made him hold his breath out of fear of incurring a wrath.

Byakuya Kuchiki was sound asleep in his bed with his back towards the door. The blanket covered him to the middle of his chest, resting underneath his arm that was hung lazily over someone curled against him whom was smaller and finer than he. He knew whom that other person was without even having to think, as the long river of jet black hair draped over his side to rest against his back.

His eyes were as wide as they could go and his cheeks burned as he closed the door just as quietly and stared at Captain Unohana.

"Uh... Um... W-Wha... She... Yeah." Ukitake stuttered, pointing over his shoulder at the closed door as he tried to comprehend what his eyes had seen.

"It would appear so." Unohana said, unmoving from her spot in front of the door.

"I didn't think she'd stay in there." Ukitake admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck, still with a burning blush over his cheeks.

"Pardon?"

"She came to me last night to check on me. I suppose she was the first to wake." Ukitake said.

"That would not surprise me since it was her inner world and her power." Unohana said quietly.

"That is true. I didn't see anymore wounds though. She must have treated him." Ukitake said, glancing at the door as his soft smile faded to be replaced with relief.

"New wounds?"

Ukitake nodded, "Yes. I suppose we'll hear about it when they eventually wake up. Byakuya isn't going to be happy about missing a week however."

"I doubt any of us are. I'm sure we have some explaining to do with our lieutenants." Unohana said as a squad 4 member approached the door with a tray of food in hand.

"I've come with the Captain's lunch, Ma'am." Said the little spit of thing with blonde hair and bright icy blue eyes.

"Not at the moment I'm afraid. Captain Kuchiki is still resting. No one is to enter this room unless it is either myself, or Captain Ukitake. Level 3 restriction please." She said calmly to the small little female.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll inform the nursemaids immediately." The little thing said before heading off without so much as an ounce of hesitation.

"That's probably a good idea." Ukitake said once the little thing was out of earshot.

"I think so too. We don't need to incur that kind of wrath so soon after dealing with a bit of an internal crisis." Unohana said with her returning smile.

"I sure don't. Byakuya's temper is as hot as its always been. He just has it under better control." Ukitake exaggerated his shutter.

"Push the right buttons however and he goes off like a bottle rocket... Well, an arsenal of bottle rockets actually." Said another voice from just a few doors down.

"Shunsui... You're alright." Ukitake breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Of course. It's gonna take more than that to rid me from this world. Not gonna lie though, that flying Soi-Fon was not fun to deal with." Kyōraku visibly shuttered just at the thought of it.

"Isane would have to agree with you. She treated your leg not long ago." Unohana said as she and Ukitake stepped away from the now restricted room.

"Still feels like it needs attention." Kyōraku grumbled with a noticeable limp in his right leg. He had been stung by the frightening stinger.

"We will all get it, I assure you." Unohana said.

"So what do we do now? Hold a lieutenants' meeting so we can catch up and explain ourselves?" Ukitake asked as he slipped his hands into his sleeves.

"We should report directly to our lieutenants first though. I've got to explain to Nanao-Chan before she scalps me and mounts my head to her wall." Kyōraku grimaced.

"That would be a wise idea." Unohana said.

"I think I'll go speak with Lieutenant Abarai and see if Rukia is back from the World of the Living. They need to know directly that Byakuya is alright." Ukitake said.

"Alright, Captain. Just take it easy. We are all still recovering." Said Unohana.

With a curt nod, Ukitake took his leave and headed down the hall, snatching up a piece of fruit from the cart as he passed by. None protested as he took his first bit and left the facility out into the warm day.

However, Squad 6 was not his first destination, as he headed straight for his own to get cleaned up. He simply could not stand the heavy feel of his hair against his skin. In fact, it was more than just his hair that felt heavy, as his skin as well, having been caked in dried sweat and skin oils that just clung as if it was the strongest glue imaginable. A bath and a fresh change of clothes would come first.

After he had washed, having scrubbed his hair twice and combed it out for no less than ten minutes, Ukitake was dressed and feeling far lighter than he had been. The bath had done wonders to clear his mind and uplift his mood as he managed to escape from his own squad's attentions.

As he walked towards Squad 6, everyone he passed took the time to tell him that they were glad he was up and around. Throughout the apparent week they had been in their coma of sorts, the entire Gotei had speculated as to what had happened. There was more than one rumor flying around, ranging from a science project gone wrong, to a mysterious Hollow attack, to a wild captains only party. The entire spectrum was covered.

Now at the Squad 6 barracks door, Ukitake rapped a strong hand on the wood, which garnished the sentries to open it and gasp.

"C-Captain Ukitake! You're alright!" They both said together as they fully opened the door to allow him entry onto the grounds.

"Yes and feeling much better. Is Lieutenant Abarai in?" He asked, deciding it best, for now, to keep quiet about things.

"Y-Yes, Captain! He's up in the Captain's office, but I'll warn you, he's in some kind of mood today." Said one sentry, a young man with a cluster of brown mussy hair on top of his head with brown eyes.

"That's alright. I know what the mood is pertaining to." Ukitake said, offering a smile in hopes of alleviating their worry that was clear on their faces.

He waved good-bye as he headed for the main barracks building and walked inside. More Shinigami beamed and told him how happy they were he was ok, and more than a few asked about their captain's well-being. Ukitake at least offered them the knowledge that he was alright, but left it at that as he found his way to the office with the silhouette of a camellia flower.

He softly knocked, but no more than a single knock found contact as the door ripped open with a rush of wind from the inside.

"Captain!... Ukitake? Oh-" Renji's voice trailed off as his face instantly dropped with the disappointment that it wasn't his Captain whom had come.

"Hello, Renji. Do you have a few minutes to talk?" Ukitake asked kindly.

"S-Sure. C'mon in." Renji said, stepping aside.

Ukitake stepped into the office and shut the door as Renji went to his small desk next to Byakuya's far larger one and sat down with a heavy plop and a groan in its chair.

"Is the Captain ok? What's going on?" Renji asked as he racked a hand back over his hair that was a bit static filled and mussy despite being its usual ponytail.

"It's a bit complicated to explain here. There will be a lieutenant's meeting forthcoming and everything will be explained there by the captains once we all wake." Ukitake said as he took a seat in the available chair, having to support his weight on the armrests and lower himself down slowly.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Renji asked, sitting up a bit straighter in case the man needed his help.

"I'm fine, Renji. Just achey all over," He sighed once he was seated, "Look... I came to personally tell you that Captain Kuchiki is fine. He's just... resting still is all."

"That's a relief." Renji sighed as he slumped in the chair.

"How have you been managing? With heading up Squad 6 in our absence?" Ukitake asked.

Renji shrugged, "Alright I guess. I've pretty much stuck to the routine since the Captain went into a coma. Training then cutting everyone loose to practice what we went over. None of the paperwork's been done and the Head-Captain is getting to be a pain in the ass. He keeps wanting reports and I just don't have anything to give him." He said, scratching the side of his tattooed neck.

"I see." Ukitake said.

"What happened to the Captain? He went into that training and then just... didn't come out. None of you did. I heard through the grapevine that everyone had gone into a coma." Renji said as he slouched even more in his chair and picked at his fingernails.

"I see. Care to explain?" Ukitake asked as he rested an elbow on the armrest.

Renji shrugged again, "A member of Squad 4 came running in screaming about how all the captains had been taken to the medical facility. It took ages to calm him down, but once I had, he told me that the Captain's attendant had found everyone comatose in the Captain's training room and that he and Nyruki had been heavily injured. That's all I was able to get out of him before he took off." He explained.

"It left you with a lot of questions didn't it." Ukitake said, already knowing what the Lieutenant's answer would be.

"Yeah. A lot of 'em." Renji grumbled as he dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Have you told Rukia?" Ukitake asked.

"Yeah. I sent her a Hell Butterfly after I found out." Renji answered, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Her reply?"

"Only that she wanted me to keep her informed. She said she's still waiting for Urahara to get that package for you so she hasn't returned yet from the World of the Living." Renji said, finally lifting his head to look at the Captain.

"I see. She's probably worried sick." Ukitake said, cupping his own chin.

"She is, but she's managing." Renji said.

"Good. Do the others know?"

"I'm sure they do. Rukia most likely told them." Renji said as he sat up straight and leaned on his elbow.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they all arrive along with Rukia." Ukitake sighed.

"Maybe. I'm gonna send another Hell Butterfly and let her know the Captain's ok. That'll probably make her show up in a hurry." Renji said as he pushed himself up to his feet.

"Probably. If she does arrive without the package, then that's fine. Urahara will hang onto it until she can pick it up." Ukitake said as he too rose to his feet.

"Thanks for letting me know, Captain. It's a big relief." Renji said, standing up straighter than he had been, almost as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Of course."

"Can I go see him?" Renji asked as Ukitake turned to leave.

Ukitake gulped and held his breath, "Um... No, I'm afraid. He's still in intensive care. Captain Unohana has placed a level 3 restriction until he's out of the woods."

"Out of the woods?" Renji swallowed.

"Yes... You'll find out at the lieutenant's meeting later today. Will that suffice?" Ukitake asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the far, far younger man.

"It'll have to."

* * *

It was so warm beneath the blanket and it was only compounded by the rays of sunshine coming in through the thinly veiled window. The curtains silently danced in the slow breeze that carried sun kissed, lightly scented air into the hospital room that smelled of anesthetic, filling her lungs with an energy that helped her to flutter her eyes open.

She hadn't moved at all during the night. She still lay comfortably on her side, trapped between his arms that held her tightly to his chest. Each exhale from his lungs swathed over the back of her neck in hot waves that nearly instantly vanished as he drew in his next breath. She was content and comfortable and didn't want to wake, but she knew she had to with the rising risk of being caught in the same bed as her Captain.

She drew in a long pull of air as she sat up, holding her face in a hand to rub what sleep remained from her golden colored eyes. Her hair was loose and draped over his side, having been freed by his hand when her mussy bun kept stuffing into his nose. He had pulled the tie and tossed the long strands over his side to remove the obstruction of her bun and had pulled her closer for even more warmth.

She finished rubbing her eyes and peered over her shoulder at him to see his eyes still closed and his brow relaxed with a number of locks of his jet black hair having fallen across his face. She wanted to see his peaceful face, so she softly brushed her hand back over his cheek, capturing those locks between her fingers and gently tucked them behind his ear.

However, the contact was enough to stir him from his slumber as his liquid silver eyes began to open.

"Sorry." Nyruki whispered, her fingers still resting just behind his ear.

"No need to apologize. I was awake, but didn't wish to open my eyes." Byakuya said, still making no attempt to move.

"How're you feeling?" She asked, only then taking her hand away to grasp a bandaged wrist.

His fingers near instantly curled around her hand, serving as proof that he was in far better shape now, than he had been.

"I'm very sore, but not in pain." He said softly with just as soft eyes locked on hers.

"Good. Me too actually." She said, every muscle in her body aching with a dull throb.

"Thank you for keeping me warm last night. It will not leave this room. For that, I promise." He said as he tucked his other hand underneath his head.

Nyruki softly smiled, "I wasn't worried about that, Captain. You aren't the type to just go running your mouth." She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"And you would be correct." He said with the barest of smiles across his lips.

She wasn't hallucinating. There really was a smile there if she looked hard enough. His eyes were light, genuine from the near invisible smile and she fully admitted to herself that as attractive as he was, bordering on beautiful, he was even more so when he actually smiled.

"You should do that more often." She blurted out, which instantly irradiated a hot blush over her entire face.

That very smile briefly widened, which only served to make him all that much more pleasant to look at.

"I'm not one to smile without a reason." He said as the smile began to slowly fade.

"You don't just smile for the fun of it?" She asked as she looked down at the bed and hoped her hair would help hide her blush, which it didn't.

"I'm afraid not. A man of my standing isn't often rewarded with the luxury to simply smile for the fun of it, as you say." He said, now with the smile gone.

"That's sad. You should smile for even the simplest of things. Smile at the cherry blossom trees, or even at the sun's rays as they warm your skin." She said as her own lips twitched with an upward curve.

"I have often, within the privacy of my manor, given such a gesture to those simple things." He said, slightly tightening his grip on her hand.

Nyruki shifted her eyes to look at their conjoined hands, only serving to heat up the blush across her cheeks. Her chest ached right along with her blush, so she loosened her grip and released his hand.

"S-Sorry, Captain. I'm glad your hands are better." Nyruki softly gulped as she looked away from his gaze.

Again, that small, barely there smile made itself known by stretching his lips just enough to show.

"As am I. If I may be so bold, may I ask a question?" He asked, tucking the hand that had been clutching hers beneath his head to join the other.

Nyruki's cheeks burned even hotter, "U-Um... S-Sure." She gulped.

"Were you serious when you asked if I would look down upon you if you transferred back to Captain Ukitake's squad?" He asked.

Nyruki refused to look at him, "W-Well... Y-Yes. I um... I just feel like... I don't know... This is um... This is just-"

"Awkward?" He finished for her.

Nyruki nodded, "Yeah. It is. I-I'm sorry, Captain, but I wasn't expecting to end up in your bed when I requested the transfer to Squad 6." She gulped and scooted away to lean back against the wall, next to the window.

Byakuya drew in a long, slow breath as he carefully rolled onto his back and sat up, stuffing his pillows behind his back for support against the headboard.

"You did not have to stay with me last night. I would have faired well enough on my own." He said.

"You were cold and needed to be kept warm. You had done the same for me when were trapped. It was only right I return the favor." Nyruki said, picking at her fingernails and not looking at him.

Byakuya nodded once, "Then I must thank you. You proved that you would, in fact, do the same for me."

Nyruki held her breath as she willed herself to finally look at him, but he was looking down at his lap with his hands neatly folded, one on top of the other. He was reverting back into the coldness that was his earned reputation.

"Captain... You're welcome. I repay my debts." She said with a soft sigh.

For the briefest of moments, Byakuya's ultra soft smile returned.

Nyruki wanted to keep talking, to keep him talking, and she had even opened her mouth to continue, but the low creek of the doorknob beginning to turn froze their breath in their lungs.

"Shit-" Nyruki breathed.

However, before she could do a thing, Byakuya lunged forward and grabbed the back of her neck with a tight grip and pulled her down hard into the bed where he threw the blanket over her. He arced his knees, pinning her beneath his legs to hide the lump in the blanket just in time, as the door opened.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Byakuya. How're you feeling?" Asked Captain Ukitake, carrying, strangely, two trays of food that he set down on the side table before sitting down in the chair near the bed.

"Exhausted." Byakuya answered cooly.

"I am feeling a bit unrested myself, but I guess that's what we get when we're missing a few days." Ukitake said.

Byakuya's eyes widened a bit as he looked at the Captain with a sidelong glance, "Missing a few days? How many?" He asked, feeling the slight shake from Nyruki under the arc of his knees.

"I'm afraid it's not good, Byakuya. We're missing a full week."

Byakuya lightly gasped, but remained as collected as possible as one of Nyruki's hands tightened to vice like levels around his ankle, "A week? Are you certain?"

"I'm afraid so and we've been here for five of those days." Said Ukitake.

"Five? How long did Nyruki and I go untreated for our wounds?" Byakuya asked, this time turning his head to fully look at the man.

"Well, that's actually why I came to talk... and I brought food." Ukitake said as he rubbed the back of his neck and smiled.

"I see. I could go for some lunch." Byakuya admitted and looked down at his lap.

"Supper, actually. It's time for the evening meal." Ukitake said.

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose, "Then I suppose we shall have our supper together while you explain."

"Actually, I've already eaten." Ukitake said with a bit of a sheepish grin on his face.

Byakuya glared, "Then why the second tray?" He played it as cool as possible.

Ukitake just grinned as he rose to his feet and stepped up to the bed with Byakuya glaring the entire time. He could feel Nyruki shaking with fear beneath his legs, and her iron grip on his ankle was starting to hurt, but he knew he had to power through it, or risk being discovered with one of his subordinates in his bed.

If only Captain Ukitake didn't already know.

Still with his sheepish grin, Ukitake grabbed a fistful of the blanket and pulled it up, exposing Byakuya's arced legs with the terrified Nyruki beneath them, plastered with wide eyes and a face so red, that she might as well have painted it that color.

"Uh... H-Hi." Nyruki gulped hard, but refused to move, afraid that if she did, he would see her.

"Hello, my Flower." Ukitake said, now with a crooked smile.

Byakuya buried his face in his hand, "This is... not what it looks like."

"Relax. I know." Ukitake said kindly as he let the blanket fall back into place.

Nyruki shimmied backwards until she was free from Byakuya's legs and sat up, still with the blanket over her head. She wasn't too keen on removing it either, due to the blush that burned so hot, it felt like she was standing right next to the evening sun.

However, she was not given the choice to continue hiding when Byakuya pulled the blanket off her head, pulling a significant amount of her hair with it to mussily hang in front of her face.

"Thanks, Captain. I really appreciate it." Nyruki deadpanned as she heavily slouched.

"No sense in continuing to hide if he already knows." Byakuya said, crossing his arms.

Ukitake softly chuckled as he picked up the trays of food and handed it to the pair while Nyruki quickly threw her hair up.

"Here. Eat and I'll explain what I know."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **Author's Note: Good news! Early update is early because I won't have the time Monday... Sooooooo YAY! Enjoy!**

* * *

It may have been hospital food, but after not having eaten in seven days, it might as well have been cooked by the best chefs in the Seireitei.

Byakuya and Nyruki still sat in his bed with their laps covered with the trays of food. They quietly ate, albeit a bit quickly, because their stomachs were just that desperate for something to eat.

"Thank you for bringing supper, Captain." Nyruki said between bites of food, sitting cross-legged and back against the wall.

Ukitake smiled as he sat back down in the chair, "You're welcome."

"How is it you knew she was here?" Byakuya asked after swallowing a rather modest bite considering how much his stomach was growling.

"Captain Unohana and I discovered it earlier when we came to check on you. There is no cause for worry, however. No one else knows and she put a level 3 restriction on your room. Only her and I can enter... Though I wasn't expecting her to stay after treating your wounds." Ukitake said as he started to lightly blush.

"And exactly how do you know that?" Byakuya asked.

"Nyruki had come to me last night after waking up." Ukitake said as Byakuya shot a cold glare towards Nyruki.

Nyruki swallowed, "What? Priorities." She shrugged.

"Your previous Captain, over your current one?" Byakuya asked, still glaring.

"Adoptive father over my current Captain." Nyruki glared right back, but quickly corrected herself when she realized just whom she was glaring at.

"I'll keep that in mind." Byakuya deadpanned.

"Oh relax! I'm just teasing. I was looking for your room last night, but I found his first." Nyruki rolled her eyes and returned to her food.

"I see." Byakuya finally ceased his glaring to sip his less than satisfying tea that, but would have to do.

Ukitake chuckled, "I see you're as good at being teased as always, Byakuya."

"Don't start."

"Alright... Alright, I'll behave." Ukitake threw his hands up in defense.

"You were saying you would explain what you know while we ate." Byakuya said, taking another bite.

"Oh yes. You're right," he folded a leg beneath him, "Well, I guess I should start by saying I just got back from the Lieutenant's meeting." Ukitake began, folding his hands in his lap.

"You brought the Lieutenants in on this?" Nyruki reeled.

"We had to. They've essentially been running things since we've been out of commission. They deserved to know." Ukitake said with a light shrug.

"How did it go?" Byakuya asked.

"Long. We were there for several hours trying to explain and catch up on what we missed." Ukitake said.

"How is Squad 6?" Byakuya asked plainly.

"No problems. Renji has done rather well in your absence." Ukitake said, smiling.

"I never doubted."

"All the Lieutenants know what my Zanpakutō can do?" Nyruki frowned.

"You're assuming they didn't already from your display the first day you reported." Said Byakuya.

"That doesn't mean I wanted it spread around like the latest edition of Seireitei Communication." Nyruki grumbled lowly.

"It's a little late for that I'm afraid, Nyruki." Ukitake said.

"What else did you learn from the meeting?" Byakuya asked to keep the conversation moving forward.

"Well, it was mostly spent hearing from the Squad 4 Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, regarding our treatment." Ukitake said as his face dropped slightly.

"Why that look, Captain?" Nyruki asked with concern.

"Our injuries were pretty straight forward. Nothing really more than some cuts and scrapes. However, you two gave them some problems." Ukitake said, releasing a soft, barely audible sigh.

Both Nyruki and Byakuya stared and waited for him to continued.

"It would appear that the javelin wound had refused to heal at first. Nothing the medics could do would heal it, so Isane decided to test each wound for residual spiritual pressure to see if the problem could be determined." Ukitake said as he inhaled quietly.

"What she find?" Nyruki asked.

"Your spiritual pressure."

"Perhaps from when Nyruki was using her energy to keep us from bleeding?" Byakuya mused.

"Perhaps. Both your wounds were bathed in Nyruki's spiritual pressure which kept any healing Kidō from working properly. It concerned Isane a great deal. She wasn't sure what was going on, so she kept you two bandaged and cleaned the wounds routinely every couple of hours." Ukitake shrugged.

"What happened after that?" Nyruki asked with a short glance at Byakuya.

"Well, Isane contacted Nemu Kurotsuchi for some help, namely for the use of that regrowth serum that Captain Kurotsuchi uses whenever he loses an arm." Ukitake lightly cringed.

"Don't you dare say that she used that concoction on us." Byakuya hissed.

Ukitake shied away, "She did, and it worked."

Byakuya's brows furrowed hard, "So that's why we were suddenly being healed when we were still trapped."

Ukitake nodded, "Yes. And why it was so violent."

Byakuya continued to frown, "What happened next?"

"After Isane was able to seal up your javelin wounds, all she could do was monitor all of us at that point. She continued to track the residual spiritual pressure and we all had traces of Nyruki's on us, but she found something that was a bit more disturbing." Ukitake continued.

"Which was?" Byakuya arced a brow.

Ukitake sighed and rested an elbow on the armrest, "She found minute traces of Hollow spiritual energy."

Nyruki choked, "W-What? W-Wait a minute, that can't be right!"

"Ssh! Keep your voice down, or people will hear you." Byakuya snarled at her.

"Don't you think I have a bit of a reason to be a bit shocked?" Nyruki shot back, balling her fists in her lap.

"Not at the expense of letting more people know that you're in my bed, so hush." Byakuya said stiffly.

Nyruki sighed, "Fine. I'm sorry."

Byakuya nodded once, "There's no explanation as to why there was Hollow spirit energy?"

Ukitake just shook his head.

Nyruki sighed and hung her head as Byakuya continued.

"Why weren't we found for two days? I had specifically told my attendant to check in on us and I would like to think that means more often than a couple of days." Byakuya said as he finished with his meal.

"I actually did some investigating about that. Before coming here, I went to your estate to talk with your attendant and he said something that is rather odd." Ukitake said as he rested a knuckle on his chin.

"How so?" Byakuya asked.

"He said that whenever he would check, which he claims was every few hours just before each meal, he said someone inside said we were all alright." Ukitake explained.

Byakuya's brows furrowed, "Pardon me? How could that possibly be if we were all trapped in Nyruki's inner world?"

"No one should have been able to answer. My thralls can't talk." Nyruki gasped.

"We don't know, but he also said that the voice was a man's, so he assumed it was one of us." Ukitake said, scratching the back of his neck.

"It couldn't have been!-"

"Hush! If you keep raising your voice, you'll leave me with no choice but to gag you." Byakuya snarled with a slight curl in his upper lip.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"I haven't seen Byakuya express this much since he was a kid." Ukitake mumbled behind his sleeve.

"Don't even start, or I'll gag you too." Byakuya shifted his sneer to him.

However, Byakuya's little outburst did little to ease the constant ache in his back from the barely healed punctures. The ache turned into a sharp sting that caused him to softly wince and carefully adjust himself against his pillows that weren't helping to alleviate the pain.

"Are you alright?" Ukitake asked as he helped Byakuya to adjust.

"I'm fine." Byakuya glared.

"You should relax more, Byakuya. I understand this is all a lot to take in, but you're in no shape to do much of anything but listen." Ukitake said as he took the emptied tray from his lap and set it down on the side table.

"We don't really have the luxury of relaxing, Captain Ukitake. Not only are there still a lot of unanswered questions, but Nyruki now only has two weeks to finish training us, or she loses her Zanpakutō and her place in the Gotei 13." Byakuya said as he released a sigh.

Nyruki's eyes widened. It hadn't even clicked with her yet. Her Captain was right. There were only two weeks left to defend all she had worked for and now that all of them had been injured to varying degrees, it would still be a day, or two, before they could resume their training. Things were looking more and more glum with each passing moment and the very thought of having to give it all up made her heart sink to her feet.

She wanted out of the room, to go for a walk to help clear her stuffy head. She needed to think on how she was going to continue, but now, after just finding freedom from the nightmare that the Captain of Squad 12 had caused, she wasn't confident about jumping back in. She didn't want to risk getting trapped again out of the new found fear that maybe this time, they wouldn't make it out alive.

"I need to get some fresh air." Nyruki said softly as she shifted to scoot off the bed.

However, Byakuya raised a leg just enough to push her back against the wall.

"Hey!" Nyruki snarled.

"That would not be wise, Nyruki. There are still quite a lot of people outside that door who could see you exiting my room when they never saw you enter." Byakuya said with his eyes turned down and arms crossed.

"He's right, Nyruki. Just stay put till dark, then you can leave." Ukitake said with a smile.

"But... But I need to bathe. It's been a week and I'm gross." Nyruki whined as she crossed her arms with a huff and pouted.

"Believe me, I know how you feel, but Byakuya's right. You only have to wait a couple of hours anyways." Ukitake said with a smile in hopes of easing her.

Nyruki huffed again, "Fine."

"Good. I'll come by later and let you know when it's safe alright?" Ukitake asked.

Nyruki tried not to look at the man, but her eyes shifted up to him on their own as her exaggerated frown softened.

"Alright." She sighed as she relaxed back against the wall.

"Good. You two get some more rest." Ukitake said as he stood and picked up the trays.

"Yeah right." Nyruki grumbled as he left, leaving her to sit and wait, still in the bed of her Captain.

* * *

Luckily, Ukitake had been right, much like he always was. She only had to wait a couple more hours before gaining her freedom from her Captain's room that she was more than grateful for. She could begin to feel like her normal self and that included getting a bath to get rid of a week's worth of grime which clung to her skin like glue. Her hair was a knotted mess and heavy, and in desperate need of strong conditioning with a flurry of combing. She didn't have the best of soaps, but it's what she could afford and right now, that's all she needed to get rid of the grossness.

She had gone back to her room at the Squad 6 barracks and gathered some fresh clothes and her bathing kit before setting off for the hot spring a few streets over. She could have used the bathing suite at the barracks, but it was indoors and at that moment, she wanted as much fresh air as possible. She wanted it under the crystal clear, star peppered sky with the big and bright full moon and she exactly where to get it; The outdoor hot spring.

The air was cool as she walked, but not cold. It was serene and so quiet that she could nearly hear her own heart beat in her chest. No one was around, not even a small animal or other Shinigami coming back from a late night of partying at one of the many restaurants around the Seireitei. Everywhere she looked was completely deserted and that meant she would have the entire hot spring to herself.

A small, welcomed revelation.

She reached the hot spring building and walked inside into the dimly lit room with large banks of bamboo cages dominating most of the space. They were lockers and all of them were empty and open.

She began to undress and didn't bother folding her dirty clothes, instead, balling them up into a wade and threw them into the nearest locker without a care. She removed the golden band from around her arms before she slipped off the black bandaging she wore to cover her modest breasts and tossed her under garment into the locker with the thought of maybe just throwing them away instead of trying to clean them. She felt that utterly disgusting.

Fully undressed, she grabbed a neatly folded towel from the shelf and wrapped it around herself, tucking the end in to keep it secured before she let her hair down, picked up her bathing bag and stepped out into the steamy air of the hot spring.

However, she immediately hid in the doorway as the hot spring was not completely barren after all.

 _What in all the realms? What is it with my luck today?_ She angrily thought to herself as she dared a peak around the corner.

The water of the hot spring twinkled beneath the moonlight with the etherial steam so thin that it was only a veil, barely able to hide the shimmer of the water reflecting the night sky. Soft, delicate splashes bubbled softly as its occupant swam, elegantly diving beneath the warm laps as if they were a fish. She could easily see below the water's surface, and the swimmer was just as graceful as they were on land. Every motion, every soft kick, every sweep of their long arms was as fluid as the water itself and every now and again, they would spin before breaking the surface and taking in a breath.

She silently gulped as she watched, her heart thundering in her chest the more she studied the man swimming as if he was born of the water. Why did it have to be _him_? Why did it have to be the one person whom had earned a monopoly on her confusion? His reputation was supposed to be cold, collected and bordering on arrogant, but he had proven differently as of late. She had noticed a bit of that second side in his dealings with his Lieutenant, but she never thought she would see it so soon after joining his Squad. This man was very much operating outside of her plans.

"You can come out, Nyruki." Said the man in the hot spring, smoothly treading water on his back as he stared up at the sky.

Nyruki's cheeks burned, but she stepped out, a bit stiffly, from her hiding spot and clinging to the towel as if her life depended on it.

"How did you know I was here?" She asked, a bit self consciously as she made sure her towel was secure.

"I can sense your spiritual pressure from miles off. The collar makes no difference." Said Byakuya as he lifted his head from the water to glance at her with an expressionless gaze.

"Oh... I uh... I can go find somewhere else if you want, Captain. I didn't mean to disturb you." She said, starting to turn to leave, but stopped when he so elegantly swam to the hot spring's edge.

"You can stay. I'm just taking some time to relax. I finished bathing some time ago." He said as he rested his arms on the bamboo platform that wrapped around all four sides of the hot spring.

Nyruki silently gulped again, "Um... Alright. I would have figured you'd be at your estate instead." She said as she set her bag down on the bamboo and sat with her legs dangling over the edge into the hot water.

"The sky is bigger here." Byakuya said, turning around to press his upper back against the bamboo edge.

Nyruki, still burning with a blush, glanced at him as he turned, seeing the barely visible darkened spots across his bared back.

"Captain Unohana heal you up some more?" Nyruki asked.

"Yes." He said simply.

"Good. They look much better." She said as she tightly gripped the edge of the hot spring until her knuckles were white.

"They feel better."

Nyruki managed to briefly smile as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing that his head had lolled back against the bamboo so he was looking up at the sky with his eyes closed. It offered her a chance to see more than just the pretty face.

Yes, he was a thin man, lithe as it were, but there was enough muscle definition to prove that there wasn't an ounce of fat anywhere on the man. His hair was longer than it appeared, actually falling to his shoulder blades when wet and underneath the moonlight, his pale skin looked pearl and the embodiment of perfection, save for the slightly rough patch on his abdomen, half hidden by the wrapped towel around his hips.

"The javelin wound looks better too." She blurted out, instantly cupping her hand over her mouth in horror that she had said such a thing without thinking.

Byakuya opened his eyes and briefly looked at her before looking down at his abdomen, "There's no telling what that putrid concoction will do, but I do hope that it heals more than that."

Nyruki caught the grimace in his moonlit features, "Me too. It's... It's-"

"Unsightly." He finished for her.

"Yeah." Nyruki said, picking up her comb to begin the lengthy process of trying to untangle the mess.

She sighed and bit her bottom lip as she combed, grateful for the distraction instead of just staring at him. Her comb was unable to travel more than an inch through her hair before snagging on another impossible tangle, and each time, she hissed as it tugged painfully at her scalp.

"Ow... Stupid hair. I have half a mind to shave you off." Nyruki growled at her hair with her comb snagging on a rather nasty knot that was somehow the same size as the thickness of her thumb.

Again, Byakuya opened his eyes and looked at her, resting a cheek on his extended arm that rested along the bamboo to keep him afloat in the soothing water.

"You are most likely going to need to condition that first before those tangles come free." He said as he rolled over to press his chest against the bamboo.

"Ugh... It's gonna be hours." Nyruki whined as she gave up and dropped her hands.

"Would you like help?" He asked as he stood up, the water lapping against his skin, high on his waist.

Nyruki went ridged at the offer, but near instantly gave up trying to fight it. She had no patience, especially with resent events, to fight with her hair. She'd much rather have someone else do it; Captain be damned.

Her shoulders slumped and her head dropped to her chest with the comb still stuck in her hair.

"Yes." She mumbled.

Byakuya huffed with the hint of a smile on the edges of his lips as he waded next to her and grasped her bathing bag.

"May I?" He asked.

"Sure. Just don't be offended by my cheap shampoos." She grumbled as she yanked the comb from her hair, affectively pulling several long strands with it.

"Ow!" She yelped

"Don't do that. You'll damage it." Byakuya said as he opened the bag and pulled two bottles from inside.

"Sorry." She mumbled again.

Byakuya sighed as he studied the bottles with a mild crinkle in his brow, "These most certainly won't do. It would take all of it just to _loosen_ the tangles."

"I said not to get offended." Nyruki grumbled, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not. I'm just not satisfied these will be effective." He said as he put the bottles back inside.

Nyruki simply watched as he stepped back away from the edge, spun and dove into the water with grace, actually swimming like a dolphin beneath the surface towards the opposite side of the hot spring where his belongings had been neatly placed. He emerged and shook his head for a moment to rid his face of the extra water before he grabbed his bag and wadded back.

Nyruki's cheeks began to burn again, "I um... Maybe I should just-" She tried to protest, to back out from having agreed, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Byakuya set his bag down next to hers and began to dig through it, pulling not one, not two, but four bottles from inside.

"Are you serious?" Nyruki breathed, holding her breath as she stared at the neat row.

"Is something wrong?" He asked as he set down the last bottle and pushed his bag aside.

"Four?" She managed to choke out.

Byakuya's lips twitched up as the perpetual scowl in his eyes softened, "You'll see. Here, lay down on your back on this."

He handed her a large, incredibly soft beach towel that had been hand embroidered with cherry blossoms along one corner and down one side. It was bright white with a thick plush and all Nyruki could do for several moments was squish it in her hands.

"Um... Are you sure you want me laying on this? It seems so nice." She asked with sharp pangs of nerves boiling in her stomach.

"Isn't that what it's for? Or would you rather use those potato sacks they call towels here?" Byakuya asked with the barest widening of his smile.

Nyruki lowly laughed, "I'll um... I'll use this. It's nicer."

Carefully, taking in mind her attire, she laid the exquisite towel down and maneuvered herself to lay down on it with her head resting just over the edge to dangle her nest of hair in the water.

The moment she had gotten comfortable, which didn't take long on the towel's thick plush, Byakuya's hands found there way into the tangled black mess. His long fingers combed through it, or at least tried to as he wet her locks down, using his hands to cup water to her forehead. The heat felt wonderful against the comfortable chill, and with the steam hanging in the air, it was enough to help Nyruki relax and admire the glistening night sky overhead.

"It's kinda weird having my Captain do my hair." Nyruki smiled, but found herself relaxing even more when his fingers began to massage the contents of the first bottle into her hair.

"We all should take pride in something, no matter how small it may seem." He said as he rubbed a large knot between his palms to soak it through with the foaming shampoo.

"And you've chosen your hair?" Nyruki smiled crookedly as she crossed her ankles and glanced up at him.

"Not as my primary source of pride, no. That position is held by Rukia." He said, slowly moving up her hair towards her head, taking time to rub each tangle and pull them apart to make them smaller and easier to manage.

"Ah. You really do love her, don't you." Nyruki said softly.

"As much as I did Hisana. I believe I told you that last week." Byakuya said simply.

"I know. How come... Um... How come you never-" She was having trouble finding the words.

"Moved on?"

Nyruki nodded, grateful to be looking up at the sky instead of him to hide the reddening in her cheeks that seemed to never go away when he was around.

Byakuya exhaled slowly as his hands deftly worked through her hair, "The opportunity hasn't arisen."

She could hear the coldness in his words, but she continued.

"Aren't your clan elders getting anxious for you to produce an heir?" She asked a bit too bluntly for her liking.

"They have been mentioning it more and more often as time goes on, yes. They have brought up the topic of arranging another marriage for me, but as the head of my clan, I have been successful in holding them off." Byakuya said cooly. It was clear this was not a subject he enjoyed talking about.

"Oh... Wait, another? I thought you said Hisana wasn't arranged?" Nyruki tilted her head back just enough to look at him.

Byakuya nodded, "And you would be correct. However, I was betrothed to another when I met and fell in love with Hisana."

"Really?" Her eyes shot wide.

Again, he nodded.

"I bet she didn't like that."

"She didn't and is still holding a grudge because I never showed up to the ceremony." He said as his fingers began to massage her scalp through the thick pillow of foam in her hair.

However, Nyruki spun around onto her stomach to look at him upright, having not been expecting to hear that he had literally ditched the woman whom was supposed to be his bride at the alter for another.

"You're kidding! There's no way you bolted." Nyruki gasped, closing an eye that was in danger of becoming drowned in suds from her hair.

"Yes, I bolted as it were. I was young and in love with the idea of being in love." He said as he rinsed his hands before tossing a couple handfuls of water up onto his shoulders to keep warm.

"How mad was she? Oh, please tell me she was livid." Nyruki grinned. For some reason, she liked the idea that her Captain had so brazenly defied societal law.

Byakuya sighed, "Yes, she was livid."

The sting of the soap began to build in her eye, and she began to rub it in hopes of stopping the shampoo from spilling in, but she was too late. Her eye immediately erupted with a chemical sting that made her wince as she tried to clean it, but his hands had coaxed her back down onto her back where one of those deceivingly gentle hands began to slowly trickle water over her eye from its fingertips.

"Lay still." He said as he cupped another soft handful over her eye.

The water washed away the soap before his thumb gently brushed over her eyelid, cleaning away whatever suds remained. His touch was gentle, almost a soft caress and with each stroke, her eye stung less and less.

"Thank you." She said softly as she lay still with his deadly fingers so close to her eye.

"Is that better?" He asked as he finished, both hands resting on either side of her head

"Much."

She opened her eye again and blinked away the subtle blur, but even upside down, she could see the ultra soft smile across his lips.

"You're smiling again." She said with her own smile in return.

"It would appear so." He said simply.

His hands found their way back into her hair and continued to scrub before he pulled the locks beneath the water to rinse them. Her hair already felt lighter and the subtle scent that the shampoo left behind was pleasant as it hung in the air. It smelt of cherry blossoms after a spring rain.

"I find myself freely talking about such things with you and I'm not sure why, but I suppose it is my turn to find out more about you." Byakuya said after a few moments, cupping handfuls of water into her forehead.

Nyruki blushed for the millionth time, "Oh, um... I'm afraid my history is not nearly as exciting."

"I suppose I'll be the judge of that." He said.

"Um... Ok. Ask away then I suppose."

"Was your father your true father, or was he a surrogate? Much like how Captain Ukitake is to you now?" Byakuya began as he started to run his fingers through her hair with tangles that were much looser.

"He was a surrogate. I never knew my real parents. My first real memory is of when Father found me in the alleyway." Nyruki said as she softly lay her hands on her belly while he worked.

"At what age?" He poured a palmful of the second bottle into his hand.

"Young. I was just a little kid." Nyruki said.

Byakuya began to massage the second liquid into her hair, taking care to keep the locks from falling back into the water as he worked his way up by resting them over his shoulder.

"Continue." He said.

"We lived in the 80th District of the Southern Rukongai for awhile. It was dangerous and Father had to fight on a near daily basis just to get water. As I grew, I became more and more hungry so Father decided to leave the Rukongai period and try to make it on our own." Nyruki said, staring up at the sky as Byakuya's hands stilled with lightly clawed fingers against her scalp.

"District 80? You grew up there?" Byakuya asked, his deep voice sounding a bit sullen to her ears.

Nyruki tilted her head back just enough to look at him, "Mmhmm. Till I was a teenager. We lived in a small hutch at the end of an alleyway. I remember Father was very, very protective of me, especially as I got older. I was barely allowed to go outside by myself."

"As it should have been. One step outside could have meant... trouble for you." Byakuya said with a noticeable pause in his words.

"Yeah," Nyruki's smile had vanished long ago, "I remember there was this one time that Father and I were out to get water the day I turned fifteen and we had taken a walk to the river not far from our hutch. Father was really happy because he had worked and saved up enough to buy me a present, and he kept saying that after we got our water, we were gonna buy it."

Byakuya silently gulped the tightening in his chest away as he continued to massage her scalp, "You don't have to continue."

Her eyes locked with his, "It's ok. I want to," she briefly smiled reassuringly, "The sun was setting as we walked to the shop where Father was gonna buy my present, but we got confronted by a group of men demanding my Father's coin. My Father pled for them to just leave, that we had nothing, but they refused to, saying that he had something they wanted whether he liked it, or not."

Byakuya's jaw began to tighten. He was beginning to know where this tale was headed.

"One of them punched Father and knocked him to the ground while the others tried to come after me-" She was interrupted.

"Stop... Don't continue." He said lowly as he tied her hair up on top of her head.

"Huh? W-What's wrong?" She asked as she carefully flipped onto her stomach to look at his angering face.

"Was this the reason your Father took you and left the Rukongai?" He asked, having to take in long breaths to calm himself down.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes."

"Did they... Did those men-" He tried, but be couldn't finish.

However, Nyruki shook her head, "No. Father got back up and killed them, all of them with his sword. He was so angry that afterwards, we just went home without having gotten my present. We packed what little we had and before the sun had even finished setting, we'd left."

Hearing that, Byakuya began to breath again, "Then you were never?"

"No. Though I would have been if Father hadn't been there." Nyruki said as she tucked a conditioner laden lock behind her ear that had fallen loose from the top bun.

Byakuya took in a deep breath as he sunk down into the hot water and turned around to press his shoulder blades against the bamboo edge.

"Are you ok, Captain?" Nyruki asked, daring to rest a hand on his shoulder which earned her a glance from his silver eyes.

"Yes. That conditioner must sit for about ten minutes before we rinse it." Byakuya said, eager to change the subject.

"I-I... Did that bother you?" She asked, her eyes saddened at the thousand yard stare that had taken hold of him.

Byakuya just nodded once.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry. I thought you wanted to know more about me, so I just-"

"I do. I was foolish to think that your life growing up was... pleasant. But I am happy your... virtue is intact." He said as he released a long sigh.

Nyruki tried to smile, but she just couldn't muster it, "It's not."

Byakuya's brows furrowed hard, but he refused to look at her as the aching in his chest returned. Something was causing the ache, the sudden dread just at the thought. He had lived a life of privilege and elegance while she lived day to day simply to survive each minute as it came in turn. He was given everything while she had to fight for the simplest of things. He was starting to feel like the most horrible person in all of Soul Society.

With another soft sigh, Byakuya turned around and rested his crossed arms against the bamboo, keeping his eyes locked on her, but no longer crowned with the angry glare. She had rolled herself around to sit up, still sitting on the elegant towel with her arms crossed. She had begun to chew on her bottom lip and with each passing second, she seemed to lose her ability to look at him.

"That's... not what I meant. I meant that I was happy that those men didn't... force themselves on you." He said, resting his chin on his arms.

"It's ok... Just forget it." Nyruki said, still refusing to look at him.

"But it's happened... Hasn't it." He said lowly.

Even in the moonlight, he saw the glowing sheen that had begun to build in her golden eyes and it only served to add to that growing ache in his chest.

"Not... exactly." She looked down at her lap.

He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but no words came out. There simply weren't any he could say that wouldn't make him sound like a prying prick, or an indifferent bastard, so instead, he closed his mouth and pulled himself from the hot spring.

The sudden splash of the water was enough to draw Nyruki's attention away from the oblivion she was staring into, just in time to see his arms flex with the effort of pulling his weight from the water. Her stomach flipped, but only for a moment until she looked away once more.

However, when a pair of wet, abnormally hot arms found their way around her shoulders from behind, the gymnastics in her stomach returned with a vengeance and she went instantly rigid with a start and a soft gasp.

"Are you alright? Did I-" Byakuya actually stuttered as he instantly pulled his arms away with worry he had overstepped his bounds.

Nyruki breathed in, "I-I'm fine. Just startled is all." She lied.

Her arms dropped from over her chest into her lap and she opted to stare at something a bit closer than oblivion. Her hands began to pick at her fingernails and she was so transfixed by their actions that she missed when Byakuya had come to sit next to her and softly, gently, cupped her chin.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong to ask." He said so low that it was almost a whisper lost to the steam of the hot spring.

Nyruki shook her head, "You weren't. It's just not something I talk about. I've only ever talked about this with Papa... I mean Captain Ukitake-"

"You can call him that. That's what he is to you and you are no longer under his command." Byakuya interrupted.

Nyruki sighed and took her chin away from his soft grasp, "I cried for days after talking to him about it. In all this time you'd think I would've come to terms with it." She continued staring at her hands.

Byakuya suddenly knew what she meant. He didn't need to asked anymore as his mind had just put the pieces together. No, she had not been forced upon, but she had had to make a decision that would mean surviving, or slowly starving to death on her own out in the untamed woods. She had chosen to survive.

"You sold yourself." Byakuya said lowly.

Nyruki covered her face in her hands and nodded.

It wasn't a moment later that she was shaking with quiet sobs and he knew that beneath those hands, tears were filling their palms. The ache in his chest, at the sheer mention, had reached a fever pitch that pounded against his sternum as if someone was crushing his chest with a boulder. It hurt enough to cause him to roll his shoulders forward and rest a hand over his heart. He had caused this. He was at fault. He had to make it better.

With the chill beginning to bite at his wet skin, even through the hovering steam, he scooted to the edge of the bamboo and slipped back into the water with the quietest of splashes that more sounded like a distant stone falling into a pond.

"Hey... Come here." He said lowly as he reached up and grasped her hands.

Nyruki didn't refuse as he pulled her hands away from her face, revealing the heavy wet streaks of tears that had fallen. He gently tugged and again, she didn't refuse as she carefully, making sure to keep some sense of modesty, slipped into the water that came up to cover her chest in sheer warmth.

"Come." He said again, continuing to tug on her hands until they were standing in the middle of the hot spring with the largest swath of sky above them.

Nyruki sniffled and wiped her eyes, "What?" She didn't look at him.

Byakuya slowly reached his hands from the water and softly grasped both sides of her neck, making her reddened crying eyes look at him, still with little to no resistance from her.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, his gaze the softest she had ever seen it.

Nyruki nodded.

With that barely there smile, Byakuya turned her around so her back was against his chest with her head resting against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back just enough so that she floated on her back, her head against his shoulder, looking up at the starlit sky that sparkled like diamonds above them.

"From here, you can see every star from every sky, tended to by the light of the moon that has been there since time began, watching over every single one like sheep in a flock. It is those very stars that have lead my clan to have a saying, an old adage that has been instilled in every Kuchiki that has ever lived. " He said softly into her ear, staring up at the sky with her.

More tears fell from the corners of Nyruki's eyes, "What is it?" She nearly whimpered.

"Each star that twinkles above, only visible by the light of the moon, is a single moment in time, locked for eternity in the black heavens for us to look at whenever we wish." He said, grasping his own wrists as he supported her in the water.

"What if I don't want to remember any of my past moments?" She asked, softly blinking more tears free of her eyes.

"Then make new ones. No moment is forever, just like no star is forever. When one goes out, a new one is born from what remains. Even stars are apart of the balance of life and death." He said, keeping his lips a breath away from her ear as he spoke.

"You mean like when we forget one memory, to make way for a new one?" She asked softly, suckling on her quivering bottom lip.

"Exactly. Forget what was, and look towards what will be. Forget the Nyruki you were, the one who would do whatever it took to survive. You are far stronger than I could ever be, simply because you have grown up fighting for the simple right to eat and drink. This includes Renji and Rukia. Where I was always given whatever I wanted, all of you survived on your own with your own prowess." He said as he let go of one of his wrists and softly placed it against her tear stained cheek across her chest.

How could words make someone want to cry more than the painful memories stomping through her mind? How could he possibly be able to make it hurt more than it already did? She had to know.

"But you can destroy anything in your path with just a thought. Send billions of blades hurling towards your enemies with reckless abandon. What do I have? I'm a whore with a sword." More tears began to fall.

That word physically hurt to hear cross her lips. In fact, it made his own eyes sting.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare let that word cross your lips again." He said with an angry snap to each word.

"How can I not when it's true?" She asked, lost in the beauty of the night sky above her.

He couldn't handle it anymore, he couldn't bare the thought of hearing how she felt about herself. No wonder she had hidden her power for so long, had lied to protect it from becoming known. No wonder her spiritual pressure had erupted in defense the first time he had touched her and no wonder she had always stayed an arms length away for so long up until she was forced, _forced_ to get close. He hated himself for it, that she had been forced to train them to break free of her Zanpakutō and it was because he had forced her to show its power. He had forced her. Forced. Her.

With the ache no longer able to be resisted, Byakuya unwrapped his arms and let her go, diving into the water and desperate for a chance to be out of her sight. He stayed under in the infinite blackness as he lay on the bottom, staring up at the waving moon with the stars that bled together. Here, he could drown in the forever blackness and try to forgive himself for forcing her.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **Author's Note: And now back to our regularly scheduled programing... Well, for today. I might update again tomorrow (Thursday) since it's 4th of July weekend and my husband will be home Friday, so I might be busy. You'll find out I guess lol. ENJOY!**

* * *

Time had stopped. It no longer mattered beneath the hot black shimmers of the moon kissed hot spring. Nothing mattered anymore and it was a welcomed solitude that helped to ease the painful ache in his chest.

It had all hit him like a bolt of lightning, everything she had ever done, ever felt and ever said throughout the past four years suddenly made sense. He barely had time to comprehend it all as it all found its way into his heart where it festered and boiled like lava. He didn't like this ache, this internal pain and it was a pain he had felt before, fifty years ago, when he had met, fell in love with and married his late wife. She had been a fighter too, someone incapable of giving up and had searched for her younger sister until her dying day; The day the plum blossoms bloomed and took her away into memory, to become a star high above on its stage of black eternity.

That same forever blackness was shaded all around him, suspending him in weightlessness that lifted the weight that felt as if it was crushing down on his very being. It was this same blackness that was broken by the pale movements of a creature he hadn't known was that elegant.

Though his vision was blurry from being underwater, he watched the pale figure swim around in the sea of black, arcing and twisting like a scarf caught in a wind. It was beautiful to watch as the creature came close enough to clear the lines for him to see her clearly.

Her hair flowed around her like ink drops in water, disappearing into the blackness of the water like he was actually swimming in the locks of her hair. Her skin was lit with the barest of moonlight, only broken by the stark white of the towel that still clung to her body and swayed like seaweed in a current.

She had reached out and grasped his hands with a soft touch, pulling him upwards towards the surface that seemed so welcoming with her near. Her face was softer, not pained, or lost in painful memory and her lips were twitched up in an equally as soft smile.

The surface of the blackness broke with a violent splash as he tossed his head back, flipping his hair from his face as he sucked in a much needed breath. He had been close to needing air, and he would have come up on his own, but she had made sure it happened sooner rather than later.

Before he could wipe his eyes, her hands rested against his chest, over his heart that he instantly blanketed with his own.

"I want to make new memories. Ones that aren't so painful to remember." Nyruki said softly, taking a step closer to him with her hair falling all around her shoulders like a blanket.

He reached out and pulled the soaked mess away, revealing her slender neck and petite shoulders to his silver eyes.

"New memories aren't something to fear." He said in nearly a whisper.

"Take your own advice. You can miss her, you can even still love her, but don't let her memory consume you and stop you from living." Nyruki said as her fingers lightly clawed down his chest.

She had stopped crying. Her eyes were golden orbs against a field of snow once again and twinkled under the moon. With her so close, he could see the tiny flecks of silver that gave the yellow their golden sparkle and each one was almost like its own tiny, perfect star. They were beautiful.

That ache was back, but this time, instead of being painful, it was shockingly warm like the water surrounding him. He felt drawn by her eyes, so much so that his arms snaked their way around her waist and brought her to him, pressing her against his body with only their towels to separate them.

"My own advice hmm?" He breathed out, reaching a hand up to rest it against the nape of her neck.

"Are you purposefully being stubborn, or are you actually this thick headed?" She smiled wide, beaming a genuine smile that lifted his heart into the clouds.

He was undone.

He pulled her tighter against him and bowed his head in the blink of an eye, crushing his lips to hers so hard he nearly lost his balance and fell forward. Her arms found their way around his neck, simply out of the need to be closer as her lips effortlessly danced with his, rising and falling in perfect unison until their tongues, simultaneously, dove for each other's mouths.

The kiss was hot, feverish and wet, coating both of their mouths with not just lingering water, but their own saliva. Their tongues constantly stroked each other, wanting, needing to feel what every inch was like and for Nyruki, Byakuya had a lot of it to learn, as his tongue was long and talented and beginning to start a fire that she actually feared.

It was this fear that caused her to go stiff and break the fevered kiss, bowing her head to shield her mouth from his as she leaned against him for much needed support. His skin was blazing hot and not just because of the water around him. He was actually flushed and his chest rose and fell far quicker than normal.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I-I... I-I can't." She stuttered, breathing heavily from having every ounce of air sucked from her lungs.

Byakuya bit back the groan in his throat and rested his reddened lips against her hair, still holding her to him with the fear that she would evaporate into nothingness and all of it would have been a dream, or a nightmare. He had yet to decide.

"No... No, I am sorry. I... I-" He couldn't find the words as he just held her close and softly kissed her forehead.

"I-It's not that I don't want to... It's that I can't. I'm sorry." She said as she tried to step back.

Byakuya squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting her to go, but he would be damned if he forced her to do anything again. He unwrapped his arms and let her go, watching her as she took several steps back until there were feet separating them.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I... Did I go too far?" He asked, needing, desperate to know.

"No. You did everything right. It's me who's... who's screwed up. These past four years have all been one big mistake and I keep making these mistakes that nearly get people killed." Nyruki said, wrapping her arms around herself to hold herself together as she licked her lips, still tasting the kiss on them.

"What?" His brows furrowed.

"C-Captain-"

"Stop right there. I am not your captain right now, nor will I be if we... if we do this. I'll sign your paperwork so you can go back to Captain Ukitake's Squad and it'll be done before morning." Byakuya said in a hurry with a tension in his jaw that told Nyruki he was nothing but serious.

"Then what am I supposed to call you? I'm a commoner, a tramp, who can't very well address a noble so nonchalantly." Nyruki said as if the words were an insult.

"There is no social standing here. Not in this moment, I am just... Byakuya." He said.

Nyruki pursed her lips together, "You weren't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to be that cold bastard I've heard so much about. Who is this standing in front of me?"

That painful ache returned with a bang, "Everyone has two sides."

"Ain't that the truth." She gripped her arms tighter.

"Nyruki... I won't force you to do anything, but at least tell me this is real, that this isn't an illusion?" He asked, taking a step forward that she instantly took a step away from.

"What color are my eyes?" She asked, staring at him so hard with teary, soft eyes, that he felt as if she could look into the deepest parts of his soul.

He looked. He looked just as hard back at her only a few steps away and her eyes told him everything he needed to know. They were both gold and sparkled with barely contained tears and moonlight.

However, before he could say another word, Nyruki had spun and headed for the edge of the hot spring where she climbed out, dripping with solid streams that soaked the bamboo completely at her feet.

"N-Nyruki... I am not a begging man, but please. Let us not part on such sour terms." He said, staying put as not to scare her.

Nyruki stopped, her back to him as she glanced back over her shoulder, "Was it your desire?"

His brows furrowed for a moment, but soon relaxed, "Yes."

"How long ago?" She asked, never moving.

"Not long. It started the first day of our training. That first time I felt your lips against mine is when I felt that... sensation of existing as one." He said with a short swallow, looking down at the stilling water around his waist.

"Then I am a whore."

That word again snapped his head up in an instant, but the only thing his eyes found were her things that she had left behind. She had already gone, leaving him alone in the hot spring, surrounded by steam and with the moon hanging overhead like an awaiting guillotine ready to chop his head off.

With nothing left, and his heart alight with pain, he fell backwards to simply float in the water and lose himself in the embrace of the moon.

* * *

He hadn't slept a wink. His entire night was spent tossing and turning, wondering why she had so quickly retreated. He wanted nothing more than to tell her that it was ok, that she was safe now and that he wouldn't hurt her, but he had a strange feeling that she already knew that. There was something else, something deeper that had caused her retreat. He could see it in her saddened eyes.

It was this feeling that drove him to walk through Squad 13 to seek the one person whom was closer to her heart than he. It drove him to seek the advice of the one person whom she would more freely open up to, if at all to get a clearer understanding of what lie beneath.

With the sun barely into its morning commute across the sky, he walked with hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought and completely oblivious to the one person whom could read him like a book.

"Nii-Sama!"

There was only one person who called him that and she was sprinting towards him with her arms wide open and the most relieved smile across her young face.

"Rukia? I was unaware you were back." He said as she plowed headlong into him so hard, it nearly knocked him to the ground.

"Urahara finally got that package Captain Ukitake ordered so I came back early this morning. I was just about to come find you and see how you were doing. Renji kept me in the loop, but even he doesn't know all the details." Rukia said quickly as she unwound herself from him and looked up with big doe like and violet eyes.

"He didn't at the time, but he does now." Byakuya said as he started to walk again with her by his side.

"Are you ok? He said you were badly hurt." Rukia asked with clear worry.

"I'm fine, Rukia. I still have a bit of healing to do, but overall, I am in no danger." He said, clasping his hands behind his back once more.

"I'm relieved to hear that, Nii-Sama. I was worried sick while I waited for Urahara to receive the package." Rukia said.

"I apologize for worrying you. Is your Captain available?" Byakuya asked with a sidelong glance down at her.

"He's in his office having tea with Captain Kyōraku. I'm sure he won't mind if you step in." Rukia said with a smile.

"Very well. I shall do that. Oh, and before I forget... How are Ichigo Kurosaki and everyone doing?" He asked as he turned the corner to head towards the pagoda with the silhouette of a snowdrop carved into the door.

"All is normal in the World of the Living. Ichigo is still killing small fry and Orihime, Uryū and Chad are all there to back him up. Nothing big to report." Rukia said smoothly.

"Good. Whom do we have stationed out there at the moment? What's his name?" Byakuya asked, stopping and turning to face her.

"Oh um... It's um-" she snapped her fingers, "Zennosuke Kurumadani! That guy with that ridiculous hair." Rukia chuckled.

"Yes... Him, " Byakuya glared upwards and rolled his eyes, shaking his head, "What squad is he with?"

Rukia's smile vanished, "Oh, um... I don't know."

"Could you do me the favor of finding out for me? I imagine he's just getting in their way when dealing with Hollows and would like to pitch the idea of having his role reduced to being a simple liaison. I see no need for him to get in their way on a constant basis." He said evenly.

"Of course, Nii-Sama! I'll take care of it right away! But um... Is everything really alright? You seem... off." Rukia asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm fine. I seem off because of the... incident is all. I'll be back to normal before long." He lied.

"Alright, Nii-Sama. I'll report once I finish your task." She said before heading off.

Byakuya slowly shook his head as he continued walking towards the office, still with his hands clasped behind his back.

Under normal circumstances, Rukia's reaction to seeing him would have been frowned upon, but this wasn't normal circumstances. He would allow it since her worry was genuine, but a small part of him wondered if maybe Nyruki was the reason for his leniency. _What is that woman doing to me?_ He thought before knocking on the wooden door.

"Come in!" Came the familiar voice of Captain Ukitake from inside.

Byakuya slid the door open and stepped inside, falling under the gaze of both Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku, just as Rukia had said.

"Good morning, Kuchiki. I'm kind of surprised you're up and about so soon after being used as a pincushion." Said Kyōraku, taking a sip of his sake laced tea.

"Captain Unohana is very skilled." Byakuya said evenly as he stood a few paces away from the table where they sat.

"Please, have a seat." Ukitake said as he rose to grab another chair from the corner.

Byakuya nodded as he sat and poured himself a cup of tea. He wasn't about to miss out on some of Ukitake's brew.

"I don't mean to intrude on any important business, but I was hoping to speak with you." Byakuya said, taking a sip.

"Pft... There's nothing important going on. We're just bullshitting." Kyōraku said with a lazy smile. It was obvious he was buzzed.

"Drunk so early in the morning?" Byakuya asked, not really caring if he got an answer.

"I'm a lush. I admit it." Kyōraku grinned with a big toothy smile.

"Quite."

"Is this something needing to be spoken about in private?" Ukitake asked, offering a small plate of tea cakes to the younger captain that he politely refused.

"I suppose I'll let you be the judge of that, as you both are quite close with Nyruki." Byakuya said.

Kyōraku jabbed a large fist into Byakuya's arm, nearly hard enough to cause him to spill his tea.

"Dude! Did you?"

"Did I what?" Byakuya glared as he dabbed his lips dry with a napkin from nearly spilling the brew. That alone grated on his nerves.

"You know." Kyōraku blushed, but Byakuya had a feeling it was more from the alcohol than the subject.

"I'm afraid I don't." He thought it best to play dumb.

"Shunsui... Go take a nap." Ukitake chuckled as he took the cup away from his best friend.

"Now? But it's only morning! I literally just woke up." Kyōraku said with a hiccuped hop in shoulders.

"Since when do you pass on taking a nap?" Ukitake arced a single dark brow.

"Since the subject matter of today's discussion involves Nyruki. What about her?" Kyōraku asked, instantly sobering up as he poured another cup, this time, skipping the sake.

"Your liver hates you." Byakuya deadpanned.

"Maybe so, but this is involving my pseudo-niece. You don't get to be close with Jūshirō and not get close with me. We're a packaged deal." Kyōraku said as he leaned back and crossed his legs, still with his cup in hand.

"So it would seem." Byakuya said cooly.

"Alright then. Are you comfortable talking about this in front of him?" Ukitake asked of Byakuya.

"Perhaps the more minds involved, the better. However, this absolutely, under any circumstances, does not leave this room." Byakuya said with a deadly glare to both men.

"Of course." Both said.

"I was hoping that I could inquire about Nyruki's past." Byakuya said, feeling that now familiar ache in his chest as both their faces dropped in an instant with glances at each other.

Ukitake set his cup down, "That, I'm afraid, is a delicate subject."

"I got a glimpse of it last night at the hot spring." Byakuya admitted.

"You did!" Kyōraku goaded with another jab to Byakuya's arm.

"No, I did not. She... got frightened and since I was not about to force her into anything, I let her go." Byakuya said, he too setting down his cup.

"That was the smartest thing you could have done, Byakuya." Ukitake said quietly.

Byakuya nodded once, "I was hoping you would have some more insight." He said with a glance at him.

"I do... Both Shunsui and I do, but, Byakuya, I will warn you now, that this is a road that very few have traveled and lived to tell the tale." Ukitake said sullenly.

"I am aware."

Ukitake sighed, "Nyruki's tough for a singular reason, Byakuya. She spent most of that hundred years she was alone selling herself to random passersby for food and water and not all of them were... kind. In fact, most weren't." He said with a clear thickening in his throat from building emotion.

"There were more than a few who were... brutal, we'll say." Kyōraku added quietly.

"Do you remember that month four years ago when she vanished just before starting her studies at the academy?" Ukitake asked.

Byakuya nodded.

"She was with Captain Unohana to repair the damage from one such brutal encounter. Nyruki's never known what being in the arms of a man is supposed to be like. She's only ever been treated as an object." Ukitake said as a thin, glassy sheen shone across his eyes.

Byakuya's lips parted slightly, "So she's been-" His voice fell of.

"Not in that regard. She's always managed to protect herself before things progressed to that point." Kyōraku said.

"How so?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, she's crushed more than a few with her spiritual pressure alone if that's any indication." Ukitake said.

"It's also why that Hollow we've yet to encounter, was able to find her." Kyōraku said as he took in a deep breath.

"I see. If I may ask... What was Captain Unohana healing?" Byakuya asked out of concern that he may, perhaps in the future, invoke the painful memories.

Both men took in long breaths and glanced at each other.

"One such... patron, I suppose we'll say, had... cut her internally." Ukitake gulped hard and dabbed his eyes before they could betray him.

Byakuya's anger and the pain is his chest spiked, "What? Does that mean she is unable?"

"No, it doesn't. She is still able to thanks to Captain Unohana and a week's worth of floating around Minazuki's stomach." Ukitake said, drawing in a long breath.

"I see. So it had been a recent wound when she arrived." Byakuya said, ignoring the ache in his chest.

"Yes. It was." Ukitake said, but stopped himself from continuing.

"Has she born?" Byakuya asked.

"No, but she has been with. Perhaps a month, or two if Captain Unohana's estimates were accurate. It was the reason she was so brutally attacked." Ukitake said.

Byakuya's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles crackled beneath the table. His stomach squirmed and his skin crawled just at the thought and he found that every muscle in his body was twitching with barely contained fury.

"Here... It'll take the edge off." Kyōraku said as he poured some sake into Byakuya's tea.

However, Byakuya made no attempt to drink any, "Was he found?"

"Oh, he's quite dead. Nyruki crushed him with so much spiritual pressure that there wasn't enough left to rinse him off a rock. Those were her exact words." Kyōraku said as he corked the small sake jar and set it down on the table.

"Which brought the Hollow down on her. Wounded and weakened from expending so much pressure, it's no wonder she was attacked." Byakuya said, this time picking up the tea and taking a hot, burning gulp that hit the pit of his stomach like a ton of bricks.

"Exactly." Ukitake said.

"How is it she is so comfortable with you two?" Byakuya asked as he looked down at his lap.

"It didn't happen overnight, Byakuya. It took Shunsui and I years to convince her we weren't going to hurt her. Her brain told her we could be trusted, but her heart was fearful. The first hug I ever got from her was when she graduated from the academy." Ukitake said as he took a plain cracker and bit off a small corner.

"I see," Byakuya exhaled, "I understand now why she is so guarded about her power. It's like she can't escape the past that haunts her." He said, gulping down the rest of the spiked tea.

"Exactly. She hates her power. Fears it. It only serves to solidify her self-imposed label of a whore." Kyōraku said as he poured Byakuya another cup of tea, this time without the sake.

The alcohol in Byakuya's stomach began to feel hot, "We understand now why her power is what it is."

Both Ukitake and Kyōraku nodded.

"Nyruki wants to be a lover, an equal, Byakuya. Not a thing to be used and thrown away." Ukitake said.

The painful ache was back to radiate in his chest and with it accompanied with the hot simmer in his stomach from the alcohol, it made him feel like he was burning alive from the inside out. His cheeks felt oddly warm and that heat had refused to stay put as it trickled up into his skull. This was why he didn't drink often.

With a groan, Byakuya dropped his forehead into a hand and closed his eyes.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you." Kyōraku said as he slid the small plate of tea cakes towards the man.

Byakuya just shook his head.

"That's why you're feeling loopy. Eat something before you fall over." Kyōraku chuckled.

Byakuya took the plunge and reached over the tea cakes to the plain crackers behind them.

"Did you have an attack this morning?" Byakuya asked as he ate the crackers slowly, not wanting to pummel his stomach with too much at once.

"I was a bit queazy this morning. Please, help yourself." Ukitake said kindly.

"Thank you."

Ukitake and Kyōraku fell into quiet conversation while Byakuya gave himself some time to feel better. The plain crackers settled his stomach, and after a little while, the heat from the alcohol began to wane, giving him back a semblance of normalcy where he could think somewhat clearly.

"Thank you both for telling me. I understand the sensitivity of the subject." Byakuya said as he drew in a settling breath.

"If you are brave enough to dare this road, then you needed to know." Ukitake said with a forced smile.

"I do appreciate the discloser. However, I am still undecided on whether to go find her, or leave her be." Byakuya said, swallowing down another cracker to finish settling his stomach.

"My opinion? Go find her and talk to her, if at all to convince her to keep going with this training." Kyōraku said with a sip of normal tea.

"Yes... That is true. We do not have the time to spare. We should continue this evening." Byakuya said as he released a slow sigh.

"I would agree, but you'll need to convince Nyruki of that." Ukitake said with a slight grimace on his face.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked, confused.

"Well, when I arrived this morning, I found that." Ukitake said with a point towards his desk.

Byakuya's brows pulled together as he looked over his shoulder in the direction that Ukitake was pointing.

On top of his desk, Nyruki's Zanpakutō sat amongst a stack of papers that had accumulated throughout the week, on top of a thin folder stamped with red.

"That is... a problem." Byakuya sighed as he shifted his eyes to Ukitake without moving his head.

"Very much so. I'd say our little incident set her back a few paces." Kyōraku said, setting his tea cup down and hiding his hands in his sleeves.

"Speaking of... What has become of Captain Kurotsuchi since we awoke?" Byakuya asked with the slightest furrowing of his brow.

"He's still out, but that's due to Captain Unohana." Kyōraku said with a huff of air out through his nose.

"Is there a particular reason why?" Byakuya asked.

"She's pissed for one, and two is so that she can make sure there isn't any ill affects from having been trapped by his own hand. She's figured that Nyruki essentially drew all of our souls into herself and Kurotsuchi hijacked the whole thing when he fell head over heels for his desires." Kyōraku said, slowly shaking his head.

"I can't say I'm fond of how that sounds." Byakuya said, taking a small sip of regular, not spiked tea that felt easing to his stomach, which he was thankful for.

"Neither of us are, but Nyruki seems to be alright. You haven't noticed anything, have you?" Ukitake asked, setting his dark brown eyes on Byakuya.

Byakuya shook his head, "Not besides what occurred last night. I fear it was I who spooked her."

Ukitake rested a hand on his shoulder, "It wasn't you, I can assure you."

"You sound awfully confident, Captain Ukitake." Byakuya said with a sidelong glance.

"He is. Just trust him." Kyōraku said simply.

"Trust was never an issue," Byakuya said as he rose from the chair, "I'm afraid I must take my leave. Thank you for your time." He added as he adjusted his custom haori so that it sat square on his shoulders.

"What will you do?" Ukitake asked as he too rose from his chair.

"I think I shall go find and speak with Nyruki. Perhaps, if I don't frighten her that is, I can convince her to continue with this training." Byakuya said.

"Then take her Zanpakutō with you." Ukitake said as he went to his desk and picked up the sword in both hands.

Byakuya nodded as he took the sword from him and slipped it into his obi sash on his other hip, covered by his captain's haori.

"Do you need help finding her, Pup?" Kyōraku chuckled with a big grin.

"Hardly. If you can't sense that amount of spiritual pressure, than you have no business being a Shinigami. She's at Squad 6 in the training room." Byakuya said evenly.

"Very well. You have a good handle on things, Byakuya. I wish you luck." Ukitake said as he tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"It won't be luck, but rather skill that will determine this outcome."

* * *

It was delightfully cool inside the wide open training room normally used for kendo training. The wide door and several of the windows were open, allowing the soft whistles of breeze to come inside and sweep away the scent of lingering sweat which was thankfully replaced with fresh air that smelt of nothing.

With the sun just now coming over the tops of the buildings within the Seireitei, its intoxicating rays beamed in through the open door, heating a swath of floor to the point where it was nearly too hot to stand on without some form of foot protection. That is why, Nyruki and Renji had picked a spot towards the back of the training room, still coated in shadow.

Renji was knelt on the floor, sitting back on his heels with his hands on his thighs, breathing a bit heavily. The ends of his long crimson hair had been dampened with sweat and the top of his Shihakushō had been shed to hang down by his waist.

"Give me a minute to recover." Renji breathed out as he let his chin drop to his chest.

"You gonna be ok?" Nyruki asked, standing behind him with her hands hovering over his head.

Renji nodded, "Yeah. It's just a lot of effort fending off that much spiritual pressure." He said, forcefully slowing down his breathing.

"Do I need to throttle it back some more?" She asked, dropping her hands and kneeling down next to him to make sure he was alright.

"No. It's fine where it's at. I can already handle levels up to Captain Zaraki, but passed that I start having a hard time. You need to go higher than him for me to start building up my tolerance." Renji said, sending a sidelong glance her way.

"Alright. May I offer a suggestion?" Nyruki asked as she sat down, giving her Lieutenant a chance to recover from the blasting of spiritual pressure.

"Sure. I'm the student here." He shrugged.

"It looks like you're using muscle to handle the pressure, but have you tried using your own power to shield yourself?" Nyruki asked as she fixed her hair that had dreaded throughout the night, having not finished cleaning it and the conditioner had dried within her locks. She had put it up in a bun with a pair of hair sticks.

"I... haven't." Renji admitted.

"Try giving that a shot. I know that's what the Captain did when I crash landed at his estate. That's what he told me anyways." Nyruki said, tucking a loose lock of white behind her ear to hide the soft shade of pink tinting her cheeks.

"Huh... I'll try it. Let's keep going." Renji said as he lifted his head and rolled his shoulders out in preparation.

Nyruki nodded as she rose to her feet and resumed her spot behind him with her hands hovering over his head. Even kneeling, the man was tall, still coming up to just below her chest so she had to raise her elbows a bit to bring her hands to hover over his head. She pushed back a thick plume of hair that stuck up from his hair tie and she realized that her Captain had been right. The man's hair could be used as a whip, it was so thick.

"Alright... Ready, Lieutenant?" Nyruki asked, taking in a long breath.

"You can call me Renji, dammit. This is what, the fourth time I've told you?" Renji faux growled as he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Sorry. It's just been... a weird week." Nyruki said, glad to be behind him to hide the pink coloring in her cheeks.

"It sounded like it... Oh! Hey, shit... I almost forgot!" Renju suddenly yelped.

"What? What is it?" Nyruki lightly reeled with her golden eyes slightly wide at his sudden outburst.

"Rukia got back this morning and we're going out for supper with a few friends. She's extended the invitation to you. Did you wanna go?" He asked with another glance back over his shoulder.

Nyruki lightly held her breath for a moment as her brain comprehended the offer. It sounded so welcoming to just go somewhere else other than the manor, to be surrounded by other people besides the captains she truly felt that she couldn't face right now. Especially her own.

Her night had been spent tossing and turning and laying awake with the lingering kiss still on her lips that only offered to muddy her thoughts. The kiss was so good, tasted so good, felt so good, that her heart fluttered and tumbled over itself at the slightest thought of perhaps getting to experience it again.

But Byakuya Kuchiki didn't factor into her plans. He was a remainder that didn't belong in the equation and she had no idea what to do with him whatsoever.

She needed the night off.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll go. I need the distraction." Nyruki said, managing to produce a smile that turned out to be genuine with the idea of seeing other people.

"I bet. I wouldn't wanna get stuck in anything that has to do with Captain Kurotsuchi. He's a few flowers short of a bouquet." Renji chuckled as he settled back in to continue the training.

"Believe me. You don't." Nyruki grumbled as she stood and resumed her place behind him.

As Nyruki slightly widened her stance and brought her hands back to hover over his head, a figure emerged in the sunbeams to stand in the open door of the training room.

Even bathed in shadow, backlit by the sun, it only took Nyruki a breath, a blink of an eye to know who it was. The long hair swayed in the breeze and the way the figure carried itself, with shoulders back and head high, there was absolutely no mistaking who it was.

It was their Captain; Byakuya Kuchiki.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **Author's Note: Early update is early! Happy 4th of July! Also, I'm posting early because I'm busy this weekend. ENJOY!**

* * *

Nyruki's heart thundered so loud that it seemed as if the sound was drowning out her hearing. She could feel each strong thump all over her body; her chest, her neck, even her arms pulsed with each pump.

She had wanted some time to think, to be away from him because just his very presence was enough to jumble her thoughts. Their kiss jumped to the front of her mind, flashing before her eyes in quick succession and even her lips began to tingle with the memory. It was a pleasant memory that forced her to swallow down the smile that wanted to creep across her face.

"Captain!" Renji yelped as he sprang to his feet so fast, Nyruki barely had time to move her hands out of the way from her musing.

"Stand down, Renji." Byakuya said as he stepped inside the training room and out of the sunshine to bring his features into view.

"I'm glad to see you're alright." Renji said, resting a hand on the back of his neck.

"I am. I would like to offer my gratitude to you for effortlessly assuming leadership of Squad 6 in my absence and I would also like to say, well done. I have been going over the week's reports and you did very well." Byakuya said, his hands clasped behind his back.

Renji's cheeks instantly burned, "C-Captain... I-It's no problem at all! It's my job!" He beamed.

"Despite that, you did well." Byakuya said with a single bow of his head.

Renji's entire face flushed as he dropped to his knees in a full on bow, "Thank you, Captain!"

"No need for that, Renji. If I may interrupt, is it possible to have a word with Nyruki?" Byakuya asked as Renji climbed back to his feet.

"Of course, Captain. We were just-" Renji was cut off.

"Training, I know. It is wise for you to build up your tolerance. You can handle mine well enough for a time, but being able to withstand it completely is better. It is a wise decision." Byakuya said smoothly.

Again, Renji's entire face flushed, "I uh... I'll leave you to it, Captain. Is there anything you need of me?"

"Nothing at this time." Byakuya said evenly.

"Understood, Captain." Renji bowed and took off in a slow jog as he shrugged back into his Shihakushō and disappeared out into the sun.

Nyruki tried not to gulp, but it happened anyways as she found herself under Byakuya's neutral silver gaze. The soft heat in her cheeks began to burn just a bit hotter the longer neither spoke, and she turned her eyes away, unable to look at him and rested a nervous hand on the back of her neck.

"I make you nervous." Byakuya said lowly, making no move at all to get closer out of a concern he may spook her.

"I-It's not that. It's just-" she sighed, "Yeah. You do a bit." Nyruki admitted, her mind entirely void of thought in order to produce a convincing lie.

"Don't be." He said softly.

Nyruki dropped her hand from the back of her neck, but kept her eyes turned away, "Is there something you needed, Captain?"

Her calling him by his rank, somehow, ached, but he ignored it, "I was hoping to speak with you if that's alright."

"About last night?" She asked, this time braving a look into his eyes that had shifted from neutral to soft.

"Perhaps, but that is not a conversation for here. My office?" Byakuya asked as he took a step to the side and extended an arm for them to walk.

Nyruki hesitated a moment before starting for the door with Byakuya by her side, but not too close. He had left a small distance between them and it was a welcomed reprieve. He seemed to be entirely aware of her wishes without her having to state them. He had no desire to be too close despite their rising tension, and it was clear to her that he was going to take things slow.

As they walked, neither said a word as she followed a half step behind him, avoiding brief gazes from the others of Squad 6 as they entered the main building and made their way to his office. None of the others seemed too concerned, but the murmurs were there and every now and again, she caught subtle words that echoed in her skull.

They stepped into the office, with the window open and allowing the same soft breeze from outside to drift in, offering cool air to help keep her mind clear. She was thankful for the fresh air as he went to the window and looked out, keeping his hands locked behind his back.

"I would like to discuss the continuation of our training. We should resume this evening." Byakuya said after a few moments, looking back at her over his shoulder with eyes still soft.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Nyruki sighed as she picked at her fingernails behind her back, but stood rigid in the middle of the room.

Byakuya turned to face her, "With only two weeks left, if we do not continue, you are at a real risk of having to surrender your Zanpakutō and your standing within the Gotei 13." He said calmly and with no hint of anger. It was solely concern.

"I've already surrendered it. I left it on Captain Ukitake's desk last night." Nyruki said, opting to glare down at the floor instead.

"I know. I went to speak with him this morning before arriving here." Byakuya said, earning back her gaze.

"About?"

Byakuya drew in a breath that seemed nervous to her ears, "I had... inquired about your past."

Nyruki's eyes shot wide and her lungs froze. She was incapable of taking a breath, of even blinking and her whole body quivered so hard that it was noticeable where she stood.

"You what?" She exhaled with her jaw tightening.

"I can see that it bothers you. I apologize, but I felt it was something I should know... Especially after the events of last night." Byakuya said a bit quieter as he took a single, small and slow step away from the window.

Nyruki stood stock still, forcing herself to take in long breaths to help ease her mind as her eyes locked with his. She wanted to look away, wanted to look at the floor that seemed safer than falling into the silver, but the silver had gotten an infallible hold on her.

"I-I... Yeah. You should know." She said as she blinked away the rising sting in the back of her eyes.

"If I offended you, then I offer my deepest apologies. My sincerest actually. That was not my intention. All I wished for was to have an understanding so that I may not... invoke painful memories in the future... Should there be a future." Byakuya said as he looked at her with a softness in his eyes that set pink firmly in her cheeks.

Nyruki's chest hurt, "I-I... I can't answer that right now." She sighed, clutching a handful of her Shihakushō in nervous hands.

"I do not require an answer right this moment. When you have it, no matter what it is, I will be here waiting." Byakuya said quietly as each corner of his lips offered that nearly invisible smile.

Nyruki sucked in a tremendously shaky breath as she rubbed the meat of her neck with both hands, gripping it tightly as she stared up at the ceiling. She was grateful for the momentary release from the silver.

"Why do you have to be perfect?" She asked airily, shaking her head and continuing to stare upwards.

"I'm not. Believe me." He said.

Nyruki scoffed, "You could've fooled me."

Byakuya's smile twitched a bit wider as he stepped around to the front of his desk and leaned back against its edge.

"The thing about perfection, Nyruki, is that it doesn't actually exist. All we can do is strive to be better than we are." Byakuya said quietly, now clasping his hands together in front of him.

Nyruki slowly shook her head, but her lips twitched into a lopsided smile, "What does that mean for me?" She asked softly, dropping her head to look at him once more.

"It means to keep fighting for what you've worked so hard for. Do not give up simply because we had a setback." Byakuya said as he pulled her Zanpakutō from his obi sash and held it out for her to take.

Nyruki blew out a bit of a nervous breath and just stared at the sword in his steady hand. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to take it from him.

"I don't know if I can do this. I can't guarantee none of us won't die the next time." She said, shaking her head.

"I have a strong feeling that you won't let that happen. I have entrusted my life to you once already and you proved that to be a wise decision." Byakuya said, still offering her sword.

Nyruki sighed once more as she just stared at her Zanpakutō with a hand tight against the nape of her neck. The ache in her chest still thumped, but it had eased up so that it didn't threaten to double her over.

"Can we take the night off?" She asked suddenly, crossing her arms.

"You feel that would be wise?" Byakuya asked with an arced brow.

"I think we all need a night off personally. We had a pretty rough week and I think it'll give us time to clear our heads." Nyruki said with the barest hint of confidence in her words.

Byakuya finally lowered his hand clutched around her Zanpakutō, letting it dangle at his side, "Very well. We will take the night off to clear our heads."

Nyruki softly smiled, "Thank you... Captain." Her smile widened.

Byakuya barely returned the smile, "Of course. Oh... Before I forget. There is something I wish to give you."

Nyruki simply stood and watched as Byakuya softly set her Zanpakutō down on his desk and reached down to a small drawer. He opened it and pulled four small bottles, only marked with the handwritten numbers one through four in black ink.

"What're those?" She asked, gripping her upper arm with a bit of nerves as he walked up to her, but she made no attempt to move.

He moved slowly as he clutched a loose lock of her conditioner dried hair and twisted it around his long finger, softly smiling as he looked down into her eyes that stared back.

"We never did finish." He said softly as he held the four bottles in his palm for her to take.

Nyruki smiled as she softly bit her bottom lip, trapped in his gaze, "Yeah. It still feels heavy." Her cheeks began to shade themselves pink again.

"Then here. Take these. The first two, you know what to do. Three you can rinse after massaging it into the ends and four you leave in." He said, releasing the trapped lock that stayed in the curl his finger had made.

Nyruki looked at the small bottles and plucked them from his offered palm, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He smiled, but let it vanish, "Now, I believe Lieutenant Abarai is about to start training with the squad. You shouldn't be late." He said, offering one last, near invisible smile before stepping away and going back to the window.

Nyruki kept smiling as she examined the bottles in her hands. The handwriting was so fluid and was completely void of any mistakes. There was no hesitation at all in the strokes. Each one was made with deliberate intention with no second guessing. He boasted that perfection didn't exist, but the handwriting on the bottles was just that. Perfect.

With another small smile, only seen by the back of Byakuya's head, Nyruki turned and headed for the training arena outside.

* * *

The training had been for everyone else but her, and she wasn't all that upset about it. Renji's training for the day had been to build up the spiritual pressure tolerances of Squad 6 as a whole and she had spent the next couple hours dousing the entire squad with her spiritual pressure in low increments so not to drop the entire squad in one go.

However, Renji had wanted to demonstrate just how much she had, so he told her, at the very start, to level the squad to the ground.

She did.

It had only lasted a moment before she restrained her spiritual pressure and allowed the squad to recover, which only took a couple of minutes. None were hurt, but all were purely stunned by the sheer amount of weight they had been laden with. At that point, everyone truly gave it a try to build up their tolerances.

After that, Nyruki had went back to her room and gathered her bathing essentials, including the four small bottles given to her by her Captain. She spent extra time with her hair by shampooing and conditioning it just like Byakuya had done the previous night. She used the third exactly as instructed and after thoroughly rinsing it, she laced the fourth through her locks until it was so soft, that what tangles remained were combed out instantly with just her fingers.

Her hair felt just like satin.

With the sun sitting just above the evening horizon, it was time for supper, so she headed for just outside the Squad 6 barracks where she had agreed to meet up with Renji and Rukia for their night out. She had been looking forward to it all day and was more than thrilled that her Captain had granted the night off so she could think about other, less stressful things.

She reached the large door and cracked it open just enough to slip through where she spotted Renji leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Hey, Lieutenant." Nyruki said with a soft smile as she shut the gate quietly.

"Man, it's Renji." He said with a weak glare as he stood up straight.

"Right. Sorry... Um, Renji." Nyruki said, withdrewing a bit into her shoulders to hide.

"That's better. Thanks for doing that training today. I figured it would be a good idea for everyone to build up their tolerances." Renji said as his fake scowl turned into a grin.

"Sure. It was a nice change from what I've been doing." She said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah... I bet. I can't really comprehend it all, so I'm probably not gonna ask." Renji said as he interlaced his fingers behind his head.

"I actually really appreciate that. There aren't enough hours in the day to go over it all." Nyruki rolled her eyes.

Renji simply huffed a crooked smile as the sound of soft footfalls drew both of their attention to the blueing shadows. A small, petite woman, with feathery black hair that came to just passed her chin and big, bright violet eyes was coming their way. Her skin was pale, only making her jet black hair stand out all that much more as it shone in the fading sun.

"Yo! Rukia!" Renji beamed as he raised a hand into the air to garnish her attention.

Rukia looked up from the ground and smiled back just as big, but when she came within a leap's distance of the man that towered over them both, she jumped up and buried her foot into his gut.

"Baka! Why didn't you tell me more details than just that Nii-Sama was in the hospital!" Rukia boomed, having dropped Renji to the ground with her singular kick.

Renji coughed, "I didn't know any! I only just found out the details yesterday at the lieutenant's meeting!" He roared back with a hand pressed into his throbbing stomach.

"I am a lieutenant! Why wasn't I told about it!" Rukia screamed as she smashed her foot down again, this time, on top of Renji's head.

"You baka! Knock it off! You were in the World of the Living!" Renji yelled as he firmly grabbed her ankle in a large hand.

In one fell swoop, still with Rukia's ankle in hand, Renji stood up, taking the small woman with him to dangle her upside down by that very ankle like a freshly caught fish.

"Renji! Let me go!" Rukia flailed and planted her other foot into Renji's chest in an attempt to free herself.

Renji grabbed one of her wrists and righted her before setting her down on her feet.

Nyruki couldn't stop laughing.

"What?" Renji glared as he continued to fend off the tiny hellion by holding her an arm's length away with his palm planted on her forehead.

Nyruki, still laughing, rested a hand on her abs, "That's hilarious."

Rukia froze and glared at Nyruki, "Oh, hi! How're you liking being in Nii-Sama's squad?" She asked, instantly stopping her assault on the redhead.

Nyruki was grateful for the fading light, as it helped to hide the pink in her cheeks, "It's been good. Different than Captain Ukitake, but good." She said as the trio began to walk, headed for their chosen restaurant only a few blocks away.

"Quite different, but he's a great Captain!" Rukia beamed with even bigger eyes than before.

Renji nudged a fist into the side of Rukia's head, "Quite doin' that."

Rukia glared, but near instantly smiled as she lightly punched Renji's side.

Nyruki smiled as she trailed a few steps behind them, watching them jab and joke with each other with the air of absolute familiarity. They were both beaming with wide smiles that reflected in their eyes, laughing together and poking at each other with no care of hurting either's feelings. It was obvious that their friendship was an old one and one that would last.

She was content to walk in the silence, watching Renji and Rukia mess about and laugh and joke so effortlessly. The sounds of friendship were a comfort and offered her a chance to observe what a true friendship was supposed to be like. It was supposed to be effortless, easy to smile and to laugh and it was supposed to be effortless to be with the other. It made her reflect on how things were between her and her Captain, how the tension was increasing, but it was so slow that it wasn't causing any sort of stress. He had made sure to give her her space and he had made it quite clear that it wouldn't be he who would make the first move. It would be her.

After a short walk, they reached the bustling restaurant where they walked through the front door and greeted the pretty little hostess. She immediately showed them to a closed off room that was large enough for quite the party and every seat was needed, as there were five more people inside waiting for them.

"Yo! Renji! What took you bakas so long?" Beamed a tall, bald man with small red smears at each corner of his eyes.

"Had to wait for the tiny baka here." Renji grinned as he firmly planted a hand on top of Rukia's head.

"Who's this?" Asked another man, this one far shorter than the other with chin length black hair and bright colored, feather like extensions coming from his right eyebrow and eyelashes.

"The one you've been wanting to meet. This is Nyruki Sawada." Renji said with a thumb pointed in her direction as he sat down on the empty side of the table.

Nyruki blushed as she waved, "Hello."

"Oi! You're the one supposed to have insane amounts of spiritual pressure right?" The bald man asked, pointing a finger at her, still holding a small cup while he did so.

Nyruki nodded as she sat down next to Rukia, whom had taken up a spot next to Renji, "Mmhmm."

"Trust me, she does. Nyruki, this is Ikkaku Madarame. Boy George there is Yumichika Ayesegawa. Blondie is Izuru Kira. The guy with the sixty-nine on his face is Shūhei Hisagi and she is Rangiku Matsumoto." Renji said, pointing at each one as he said their names.

Nyruki waved at each one and offered quick examinations of each. Besides the first two, the man with the stark blonde hair and bright blue eyes seemed a bit withdrawn, but he talked with the other two seated beside him with drink in hand. The other with the number tattooed on his face was far more outspoken, and he wore matching bands around his arms and a choker around his neck.

The woman however, garnished a bit more attention. She had voluminous strawberry blonde hair that dusted her shoulders and her face was incredibly pretty with a small beauty mole on her chin, below her lip. Her eyes were such a bright shade of blue that they sparkled like crystal waves, putting the blonde haired man's to shame.

However, it was her attire that forced her eyes to scan downwards, as the top of her Shihakushō took a steep dive, plunging down far to offer a generous view of her buxom chest that was accented with a silver chain that disappeared into her cleavage. She was a bombshell and she was beaming and sipping sake with an arm around the shy blonde.

"So this is the one you've told us about! She's cute!" The woman beamed as she poured and offered a cup of sake to Nyruki.

Nyruki took the cup, but didn't sip. Instead, she blushed at the compliment.

"T-Thanks." Nyruki said, shying into her shoulders as she tucked an ultra soft lock behind her ear.

"Mmhmm, I agree, Rangiku. Her hair is rather striking with those white accents." Said Yumichika with a smile.

Nyruki's blush deepened.

"So how about it? I know Abarai's told you I'm interested in a sparing match." Ikkaku grinned wide with a lopsided smirk, firmly planting a sharp elbow onto the table.

"Oi! Not now!... Baka. She literally just woke up yesterday!" Renji growled at the bald man.

"Why not? I just wanna know how much pressure she's got!" Ikkaku roared back.

"And I'm sure that time will come, Ikkaku, but let the poor thing take it easy and relax." Yumichika said.

Ikkaku grumbled, "Fine."

Nyruki softly laughed, "I've heard you enjoy your matches."

"Hell yeah I do! It helps keep me sharp and ready for whatever comes!" Ikkaku beamed.

"That's called training, Madarame." Shūhei Hisagi glared.

"I'll call it whatever I wanna call it!" Ikkaku roared with irritation.

Nyruki softly chuckled as the group seamlessly returned to their conversations. Rangiku, still with her arm around Izuru, laughed and drank with Shūhei until all three of their cheeks had been colored flushed pink. They were drunk and needing each other to stay sitting up straight.

For the other three, being Renji, Yumichika and Ikkaku, they talked about whatever came to mind. They shifted effortless between training, gossip and beyond. They were totally engrossed and all were smiling and having a good time.

Rukia, for her part, had shifted to turn and put her back to Renji where she had leaned back into his side with his arm draped over her shoulder. She was smiling, holding a small cup of water as she listened to Nyruki regale her with some of the details of what happened, but Nyruki left out some of the more troublesome details, namely that her adoptive brother and her had been skewered together and that he had risked his life to shield her from the fired quills.

The small waitress had come and gone, loading their table down with so much food that Nyruki wasn't sure how all of them were going to consume it all, but they were sure giving it a good go. All eight of them attacked the food as if they hadn't eaten in days, consuming sushi, rice, sake and tempura with reckless abandon.

"Oi! You gonna eat that?" Ikkaku asked, pointing his chopsticks at Nyruki's plate that still had some uneaten sushi rolls on it.

"I dare you to try it, baldy!" Nyruki stuck her tongue out as she popped one of the rolls into her mouth.

"Baldy? I'm not bald! It's shaven!" Ikkaku roared as the whole table laughed at his expense.

"Shaven would indicate that there is a possibility of it growing back." Nyruki grinned.

The table erupted into loud, boisterous laughter as each one fell back rolling so hard that they couldn't breathe. The only one not amused with the jab was Ikkaku, whom simply sat and stared with a grouchy expression with arms folded across his chest.

"It's not funny!" Ikkaku yelled at everyone.

"That's precisely what it is! That's funny as hell!" Shūhei howled, unable to sit up from his drunken laughing.

"It is not!" Ikkaku frowned, his cheeks flushed pink from alcohol.

"Oh, yes it is! However, you make the bald work, my friend. I've told you this for years." Yumichika laughed, pushing himself up from the floor with tears streaming down his face.

Ikkaku just glared.

After several more minutes, the rest returned to sitting and continued to eat. Rangiku, Izuru and Shūhei had hit their tolerance for the alcohol and desperately needed each other to keep from falling over. Both men were leaning heavily against the woman simply to keep their heads up. Ikkaku and Yumichika had fallen into a food coma after a short while, having eaten and drank so much that their normally flat bellies were distended from their binge. Renji was teetering on edge of falling asleep, resting an elbow on the table with his head in his hand. His other arm was still slung over Rukia's shoulder as she leaned comfortably back against him, still sipping water and very much awake, but was yawning.

Nyruki, having stopped drinking the sake some time ago, sipped water and nibbled on what was left of their devastated meal.

"I'm glad to see you finally came out with us." Rukia said quietly with a sweet smile across her face.

"Me too. I'm glad I was able to convince the Captain to take a night off." Nyruki said, taking a sip of water.

"I'm kind of surprised he agreed to it honestly. He's usually all about training and accomplishing goals." Rukia said, settling back against Renji that garnished a low, delirious groan from him.

"That's what I thought, but it didn't take much. He must've needed it too." Nyruki said with a half shrug.

"Probably. Even he needs some down time every now and again. He just doesn't want people to know it." Rukia said with a low airy laugh.

Nyruki returned the laugh, "Yeah. So I've seen."

Renji sucked in a large, lazy yawn as he slumped a bit more against Rukia, coming that much closer to falling asleep on her.

"Oookay... Come on, Renji. Lets get you home before you pass out." Rukia said as she set down her cup and turned to hoist the significantly taller Renji onto his feet.

"I... don't... wanna." Renji slurred, his cheeks flushed from alcohol and his eyes blurry and half lidded.

Nyruki jumped up and helped, supporting Renji's other side, "You kinda have to. You can't fall asleep at the restaurant."

"Who... shaysh?" Renji hiccuped and yawned again.

Rukia and Nyruki both softly laughed.

"What about them?" Nyruki asked, looking over her shoulder at the other five.

"They'll make their way home eventually. They always do." Rukia said as she led them out of their room, gripping tightly to Renji's arm so he didn't fall.

"And the bill?" Nyruki cringed, knowing full well that it would be pricey with all that was destroyed.

Rukia winked at Nyruki, "I put it on the Kuchiki account."

Nyruki choked back a snicker, "Seriously? And your brother doesn't get mad?"

"Sssshhhh!... Not sho loud." Renji hiccuped again, but managed to make shuffling steps as the women led him along.

The girls ignored him.

"He really doesn't. Money doesn't matter to him. So long as I don't spend it frivolously, he doesn't care." Rukia said as they left the restaurant out into the dark and quiet night.

"Wow... If I can ask, how does the Kuchiki clan make their money?" Nyruki asked as she tightened her grip on Renji's arm around her shoulders so he wouldn't slip.

"The Kuchiki clan is charged with compiling and maintaining all the history of Soul Society, so a lot of the family familiars work in the Great Library here in the Seireitei. The family money typically comes from the Royal Palace for our work in maintaining the records." Rukia said as she shrugged Renji's weight up higher onto her shoulders for a better grip.

"That's quite the charge. That can't be easy." Nyruki said with a mild reel as she gripped a handful of Renji's Shihakushō along his opposite side.

"It's not. The clan employs a small army to work the library." Rukia smiled.

"That's pretty cool. If someone needs to use the library, do they need permission from the clan first?" Nyruki asked.

"Not unless it's more sensitive information. If that's the case, then they'd need to speak with Nii-Sama." Rukia said, leading them around the corner towards Squad 6.

"Only he can grant permission?"

Rukia nodded, "Mmhmm. He's the head of the clan, so someone would need his word in order to access the more sensitive materials."

"What's considered more sensitive?" Nyruki asked.

Rukia shrugged, "Not really sure. I'd imagine clan related history, Royal family history, detailed Hollow archives."

"Where's all that stuff kept?"

"Which one?" Rukia shot Nyruki a sidelong glance.

"Doesn't matter." Nyruki shrugged.

"The Great Library most likely. Why you ask?"

"Just curiosity is all."

They fell silent as they reached the fire lit doors of the Squad 6 barracks. Rukia pushed open the doors that the sentry guards held as the women slipped through with the very much passed out Renji, as he had given up the ghost on their walk home. They dragged him across the arena to the main building and managed to get inside where Rukia led the way once more to Renji's room.

"You got him from here, Nyruki?" Rukia asked as she helped to shift Renji's weight to Nyruki, whom was somehow, despite being much smaller, capable of handling the 6'2 frame, but only just.

"Yeah. I'll just throw him onto his futon and leave him there." Nyruki chuckled.

Rukia smiled, "That'll work."

"Hey, thanks for the invite, Rukia. I had a really great time tonight." Nyruki said with a genuine smile.

"Of course. I'm glad you came. Try not to get too wrapped up and forget to hang out with friends." Rukia said, resting a comforting hand on Nyruki's arm.

Nyruki's smile widened, "I'll try. It's nice to say I have friends."

"Keep coming out with us then," Rukia dropped her hand, "Well, have a good night, Nyruki. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

As Nyruki slid open the door to Renji's room, Rukia had turned and headed out of the Squad 6 barracks towards home of the Kuchiki manor.

As she walked, hands clasped behind her back, she smiled up at the bright, cloudless sky with a moon so big, so bright, that it could be considered a second sun. Every star twinkled like distant fire and the air around her was warm with an odorless breeze that rustled through her hair like fingers.

It didn't take long for her to reach the massive doors of the Kuchiki estate and she slipped inside without a noise. But before she retired for the night in her room, she walked passed it and went to the room three doors down on the right and knocked.

"Enter." Came a deep voice from inside.

She knew he would be awake. She opened the door quietly and peaked inside, seeing Byakuya sitting at a small table with a book and tea in hand. He always read before bed. His hair was free of the four pronged silver hair piece and slightly damp from having recently bathed and he simply wore a light blue robe that fit loosely around his form.

"Nii-Sama? Do you have a moment?" Rukia asked quietly.

Byakuya nodded and took a sip of tea as Rukia slipped inside and closed the door.

"Is everything alright? It is not common for you to grace me with a visit so late in the evening." Byakuya said as he motioned towards the empty chair across from him. There was always a second chair.

"Oh, yes, everything's fine." Rukia said as she sat down.

"How was your night out?" He asked without taking his eyes off the pages of his book.

"It was very enjoyable. Everyone was drunk and passed out by the time Renji, Nyruki and I left." Rukia said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"I assume you and Nyruki got him home safely?" Byakuya asked, already knowing the answer.

Rukia nodded, "Yes, Nii-Sama."

"Good. So what is it you wished to speak to me about?" He asked, setting down his cup and slipping the bookmark into his book.

"Um... I actually wanted to speak with you about Nyruki." Rukia said, shying into her shoulders a bit.

That earned his attention as he shut his book and looked right at his younger sister.

"Regarding?"

"She... had asked some strange questions on our walk home this evening. She had asked about our clan's businesses." Rukia said with a reddening in her cheeks.

Byakuya's brows lightly furrowed, "In what regard?"

"Specifically? How to gain access to sensitive records under Kuchiki charge." Rukia said.

Byakuya rested his chin on a knuckle, "I see. Did she say anything that would indicate why she wished for access?"

Rukia shook her head, "No, Nii-Sama. I'm sorry."

"Hmm... I wonder what it could be in regards to." He said lowly to himself.

"If I knew, I would tell you, Nii-Sama." Rukia said, bowing her head.

"I know you would have. Speaking of restricted access, I understand you were finally able to retrieve the package Captain Ukitake had sent you to pick up." Byakuya said, picking up his tea for a sip.

"I was. It took Urahara some time, but he was able to get the information." Rukia said with a curt nod.

"Good. I will have to speak with him regarding what was recovered." Byakuya said.

"It wasn't much I'm afraid. All Urahara was able to find out was that this Hollow is older than the Head-Captain and just as capable. The reason he has been able to elude us for so long is because he is entirely invisible. He cannot be seen, only sensed and that's only if you have high enough spiritual pressure." Rukia said, finishing her tea.

"I see. Was there anything regarding his feeding habits?" Byakuya asked softly.

"Only that he purposefully feeds on spiritual beings with low spiritual pressure and awareness so that he stays hidden." Rukia said.

"I see. That is... troublesome." Byakuya sighed.

Rukia nodded, "Very."

"Thank you, Rukia, for telling me. I bid you a good night. Rest well." Byakuya said as he stood.

Rukia rose and bowed, "Of course, Nii-Sama. You as well."

As Rukia quietly left, Byakuya turned from the chair and went to a small end table not far from his large bed. He brushed aside a few odds and ends before pulling a closed file stamped with red and went to climb into bed, setting the file down in his lap while he stacked his pillows behind him for support.

The file was thin, only having a few documents inside. He had wished for more from all his searching, but through all the records from not just the Great Library, but the Department of Research and Development as well, there had only been enough to plant the seed of its existence and even that could be passed off as a simple child's tale. There had to be more somewhere, if at all to prove that Nyruki's Hollow was real.

With a sigh, he opened the file and began to read.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **Author's Note: I PROMISE! Now we're back to our regularly scheduled programming! Read, enjoy and review! Hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful 4th!**

* * *

The sun was dipping below the evening horizon, painting the sky with reds, oranges and yellows that gave way to blues, pinks and purples. The air had cooled to a tolerable degree from the unseasonably warm day, and a soft breeze had picked up, carrying with it the electric scent of an approaching rain.

Inside the training room at the Kuchiki estate, the captains waited for the last to arrive. They had all arrived a bit earlier than scheduled, but were content to sit and enjoy some tea, or simply lay down and take a quick nap before the evening's training began.

Byakuya, Ukitake and Kyōraku sat at a table, sipping some tea that Captain Ukitake had brought as an offering to the head of the clan while the others simply sat and did their own thing, ignoring the conversation at the table.

"That was all Urahara could find I'm afraid. I've double checked and even triple checked in some areas, but all I was able to dig up was the basics." Captain Ukitake said with a sip of tea.

"That's unfortunate. I was hoping to compile a more complete file that could be used later. With only the bare essentials, that is proving to be difficult." Byakuya said with his own sip.

"Very. I checked the computers at the Great Library like you asked and it was exactly the same. There doesn't seem to be anymore information available." Kyōraku said.

"Hmm," Byakuya hummed, resting a knuckle on his chin, "It does seem rather odd that there is so little information."

"Well, that's what we get when a Hollow is entirely invisible and takes the steps to avoid detection." Kyōraku said with a shrug.

"What's more disturbing, is that this Hollow was in Soul Society without any of us knowing. I fear he may still be here and hunting for Nyruki." Byakuya said lowly.

"What I wish to know is why he's possibly hunting her? If those with high spiritual pressure are capable of sensing him, why would he even come within miles of her?" Ukitake asked.

"That may be an answer we will never know." Byakuya mumbled.

The door to the training room slid open, revealing Byakuya's attendant whom immediately bowed and announced Nyruki's arrival before taking his leave and shutting the door behind her without so much as another word.

"Good evening, Nyruki. I hope your night off was relaxing." Captain Ukitake said with a wide smile as he stood and wrapped her up in a warm embrace.

Nyruki squeezed just hard enough to garnish a low groan that was followed by a laugh.

"It was. Is everyone feeling rested?" She asked, unwrapping herself before going to stand in the middle of the circle.

"I went to bed early. It was wonderful." Kyōraku grinned wide and with an expression that would be at home on someone whom just woke up.

Nyruki smiled, "So I see Captain Kurotsuchi isn't here again." Her smile disappeared.

"He won't be here I'm afraid. I have him under sedation for the time being to monitor him." Captain Unohana said with the kind of smile that could make even the most seasoned combat veterans shiver with fear.

"Won't lie. Kind of happy about that." Nyruki said with an exaggerated shutter.

"As are we. I am rather happy to not have the risk of becoming trapped again." Said Hitsugaya as he sat down and got comfortable.

"You aren't the only one." Soi-Fon scoffed.

As each captain found their usual spot and got comfortable, Nyruki simply stood and drew in long breaths to prepare herself. It would be another long night of waiting and watching, but she absolutely had no plan on drawing everyone in together. Each would battle their desires alone and all she could do was hope that what little instruction they got would be enough.

"Everyone ready?" She asked as she slowly pulled her Zanpakutō from its sheath.

All the captains nodded.

She brought the silver blade to her lips and uttered its release command, instantly being surrounded by the delicate mist that trickled into her mouth and down her throat. She closed her eyes as she drew in the mist, taking the largest breath that her lungs would allow. It only took a moment before her powers took affect and she opened her eyes to reveal one gold and one crimson.

With another long breath, she entered Bankai just as easily as more mist radiated from her body in a low hanging fog. To her, the mist smelt of nothing, felt nothing, but to everyone else, it had taken on the scent of whatever they found most tantalizing.

One by one, Nyruki enthralled each captain with easily shot, concentrated balls of the mist. She placed a finger over her lips and heaved a hard breath, spitting two shots at Soi-Fon and Hitsugaya, landing direct hits right in the middle of their faces. Another heaved breath took Kenpachi Zaraki and Unohana in the same instant before she swirled a ribbon of mist around her arm and forced its entirety down Sajin Komamura's throat.

When it came to the three remaining, she was a bit kinder. She softly blew a swirling ball of mist into Kyōraku's face as if she were blowing him a kiss and did the same with Ukitake. Both were consumed by Kibōyūwaku within moments, leaving only her and the Captain of Squad 6.

"How do you wanna do this?" She asked lowly as she knelt down in front of him.

Byakuya's eyes were soft and his lips had taken on the barest of smiles, "However you wish." He said softly as he reached up and twirled a loose lock of her hair around his finger.

"You're leaving it up to me, hmm?" She hummed, admiring his face.

Byakuya nodded once and let go of the twisted lock.

Nyruki smiled as she allowed a moment to get lost in the silver sea that was his eyes. They sparkled in the dim light, twinkled like stars that were more beautiful than the actual ones outside.

Her smile briefly widened as she leaned in closer and softly placed her hand along his jaw, caressing her thumb over the entirely smooth skin with no hint of stubble. His hand found its way to the nape of her neck just as her lips touched down on his to be instantly greeted with a heat that warmed her entire body. His lips danced effortlessly with hers, each breath being inhaled and exhaled in unison.

Only a moment passed before his tongue began to knock at the front door of her mouth where her tongue greeted his in long strokes and the moment the heat of her mouth met his, his throat rumbled with a predatory growl.

Nyruki's own throat rattled with want as she moved to straddle his lap, resting each leg on either side of his hips as she continued to lustfully kiss him. Her arms snaked around his neck, burying her fingers in the long silken locks of his hair while his own hands began to roam.

They floated down her back with slightly clawed fingers, pressing down just enough to let her know where they were going. They came to rest on her hips before changing course to travel along her thighs, their lips and tongues still engaged in mutual combat. She pressed into him as she continued to kiss hard, her lips becoming numb from the pressure as his hands tightly gripped her thighs and rocked them forward.

He used his greater strength to rise to his knees, wrapping an arm around her hips to keep her in place while he set her down on her back, never once separating their lips.

Nyruki sucked in a long breath as she broke the bruising kiss and stared deep into his half lidded, passion filled eyes.

"Here? In front of all the captains? I like that idea." Nyruki breathed, drifting her hand down his cheek while she smiled wide and bit her lower lip with rising anticipation.

Byakuya's breathing was quickened, heated from the rising passion. His eyes were blurry and unable to focus with her so close, pressed beneath him with her legs wrapped around his hips. His heart thundered in his chest and no amount of self control was going to be able to calm him down.

However, through all the passion filled haze, there was a nag in the back of his mind that refused to silence itself, making it near impossible to enjoy what was happening.

"Are you alright?" Nyruki asked in a whisper, caressing the back of his neck as she planted soft, lingering kisses to each corner of his mouth.

Byakuya nodded, "Y-Yes. Just... lost in the moment." He whispered airily as he dropped his head to return the tender kisses.

"Good. You're supposed to be." Nyruki said as she wrapped her arms around him.

That nag continued as they fell back into each other with lips slicking in a wet heat. His stomach rolled with the rare feeling of nerves the more her tongue ran long, hot runs along his own, building the heat low in his core to near unbearable levels.

This wasn't right. It was wrong. Not at all how he thought things would turn out. Nyruki was far more brazen, throwing caution completely into the wind and she felt like a whole different person because of it. He didn't know she could have such a side, especially with her darkened past and that nag, that roaring nag only served to get worse.

After several minutes, with hands caressing and leaving hot trails in their wake, their lips parted once more, offering another chance for him to lose himself in her intoxicating eyes.

"I want this... I want us, Byakuya." Nyruki whispered, smiling lustfully up at him.

His eyes shot wide in an instant as his breath caught in his throat. Hearing his name on her breath, in her voice, had frozen him solid to the point that the only sound was of that near constant nag. It had moved from the back of his mind, to the front.

"Y-You called me by name." He whispered, resting a hand softly against her cheek.

Nyruki nodded, "That's what you want isn't it?"

Byakuya forced himself to breathe, but remained as still as possible. He knew what the nag was now, knew what it was trying to tell him. There was no mistaking it.

"You made a mistake." He whispered, brushing a lock of her hair from her face, never looking away from her crimson and gold eyes.

Nyruki's smile began to fade, "What do you mean?"

"I do want you to call me by name, but I want the _real_ you to do it." Byakuya said lowly.

Nyruki's eyes widened, "W-What?"

"Forgive me for this." He said softly, placing another soft kiss to her reddened lips as he arced his forefinger and gently placed its tip against her temple.

"Forgive you for what?" She asked with rising worry and eyes that had begun to shake with added fear.

He kept his lips against her's, soft and tender as he spoke.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai."

With a sharp, sparking crack, the concentrated bolt of pale energy shot from his forefinger to careen through Nyruki's head before erupting out from the opposite temple. His chest instantly hurt as his eyes stung, forced to watch as the life left her eyes as a glassy, blurry sheen built across the crimson and gold.

A single tear leapt free of her eye, the crimson one, to slowly crawl down her skin as her last breath left her lungs and her whole body fell limp, no longer wrapped around him.

With her lifeless beneath him, his chest hopped with barely contained sobs. He never wanted to see her like this, to see her still and void of life with eyes unseeing. It hurt him more than remembering his mistakes before Ichigo Kurosaki had changed everything. He would never allow this to happen, not to her, not to anyone that had wormed their way into his ice shielded heart.

But the ache in his chest was soon replaced with all out pain, hot as the hottest fire and just as violent. It erupted like an explosion that caused him to roll off of Nyruki and claw at his chest, desperate to rid it of the crawling pain. His throat roared with the growing pain as his fingernails began to break into his skin, ripping and scratching to draw a tiny amount of blood that was barely able to show between the walls of the scratches. He screamed, wanting desperately for the pain to go away, writhing and clawing at the invisible maggots eating their way through his chest. He couldn't see, couldn't hear, but mercifully, it all ended when his world went black.

* * *

The training room was quiet enough for Nyruki to hear her breathing. Each one seemed far too loud for her ears, coming and going like a rush of wind through forest leaves and the only way she could drown it out, was the swallowing sound her throat made whenever she took a sip of tea.

She had enthralled each captain a couple of hours ago, save for the Captain of Squad 12 whom wasn't present. She had tossed concentrated balls of the enthralling mist into the faces of most, but when it came down to, admittedly, her favorite three, she was a bit more tender. She had blown a mist laced kiss to Kyōraku and Ukitake, but when it came to the last, being Byakuya, she had hesitated on what to do.

She had wanted to kiss him. Every fiber told her to, but it was those same fibers that quivered with fear and nerves. He could see it in her shoulders and he had simply waited with kind eyes until she decided. How he waited, just sitting with his hands unmoving on his thighs, was a comfort. He had given her complete control and would go along with whatever she wished. She was thankful for his patience and to say thank you, she had placed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips and laced it with mist.

After that, she had simply sat and waited for what would surely be another night of no progress. She had taken a spot at the small table to enjoy some tea while she took a gander and decided to flip through a couple pages of Byakuya's book. It wasn't a particularly interesting read, being a collection of poems and short stories, but it filled the time as each minute ticked away.

With a strong sigh, Nyruki took her freshened cup of tea with book in hand and went to sit in the middle of the circle so she could keep an eye everyone. None moved and all were sitting the exact same way; on their heels with hands on their thighs. It was the same as it was every night.

As she flipped the page in the book, printed with a small poem, the softest of moans broke through the silence of the training room. Her brows softly furrowed as she sat perfectly still and waited, holding her breath and watching each captain for any indication of whom had made the sound.

After a few seconds, another ultra soft moan sounded while she was looking back at Kenpachi Zaraki, but the sound had clearly come from in front of her. She whisked her head back to the front as another moan hit her ears and aided her in zeroing in on the captain.

It was Byakuya.

She set her tea down and placed her open book with its pages down on the mat next to it before crawling up to him, keeping her eyes locked on his dull ones the shade of dark gray skies. His lips had parted slightly with each moan, and more came, soft and nearly too low to be heard as his eyes fluttered in their attempts to close.

He was close to breaking free again.

Nyruki sat down on her heels and gripped both sides of his neck, forcing his unseeing eyes to look at her. They continued to flutter, but were soon joined with short, stuttering breaths that shook, making his chest hop rapidly.

"Come on, Captain. Break free of her." Nyruki whispered, still holding his head, watching and waiting.

Byakuya's breathing worsened as his eyes squeezed shut, springing free a singular tear that raced down his cheek until it collided with her hand.

"Come on... Come on." Nyruki whispered until she got her answer.

His eyes shot open wide as he gasped, sucking in a breath that completely filled his chest while his back and head arced backwards.

Nyruki kept her hands on both sides of his neck out of fear of him from falling backward, but his entire body soon relaxed, sending him forward into her in a limp heap with his forehead resting against her shoulder.

"Captain! Please say something, Captain!" Nyruki near begged as she maneuvered her hands to his shoulders to push him up.

With another low moan that dragged out, Byakuya's hands gripped her shoulders to help him sit up, his head hanging and his hair clinging to his sweat dampened forehead that obscured his face.

"Captain?" Nyruki tried again as she brushed aside his hair to get a clearer line of sight to his eyes.

Finally, Byakuya lifted his head and looked at her with liquid silver that was a bit shinier than usual.

"I-I... I did it." Byakuya exhaled with a short swallow as he pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut from the sudden dizzy spell.

Nyruki exhaled a wide smile, but kept her hands on his shoulders as he wobbled a bit, "How're you feeling?"

Byakuya stayed silent for a few moments as he focused on himself. His breathing was normalizing and his vision was clearing with each blink of his eyes. His muscles were a bit sore, but nothing wholly miserable. However, it was his chest that stung every time the fabric of his top grazed over his skin.

"Just my chest. I fear I clawed a bit too hard." Byakuya said, taking in a big, deep breath as he began to sit up on his own.

"May I?" Nyruki asked quietly as she took her hands off his shoulders.

Byakuya simply nodded as he dabbed his forehead with his sleeve to dry off the lingering sheen of sweat.

Nyruki softly gulped as she reached out and grasped the hem of his Shihakushō, carefully pulling the small V apart to reveal his trimmed chest. It had been marred by shallow reddened scratches that broke at random intervals with tiny lines of blood that never found its way free of his flesh. They were nothing more than scratches and would heal up on their own in a few days.

"Well, you have two choices, Captain." Nyruki said as she released the cloth.

Byakuya's brows softly furrowed.

"Either I can heal them for you, or you can tough it out and they heal up on their own in a couple days." Nyruki said with a small smile.

"I won't burden you with healing minor scratches. They were done by own my hand." Byakuya said as he released a sigh and fully sat down.

"You alright?" Nyruki asked.

Byakuya nodded, "Yes. Just... exhausted. How long did it take?"

"A couple hours."

"That won't do. It needs to be faster." Byakuya said as Nyruki went to the table and poured him a cup of tea.

Byakuya took the cup and allowed a moment for the aroma to fill his nose before taking a much needed sip that felt like the rejuvenating sun after a storm.

"Well, it's a start. What happened if I can ask?" She asked as she picked up her tea and closed the book, making sure not to lose Byakuya's place, marked with a thin strip of paper.

Byakuya briefly smiled as he glanced at the book, "That's my favorite book."

Nyruki's cheeks tinted pink, "It helped pass the time." She said, setting the book down next to her.

"Was there any particular one you enjoyed the most?" He asked with another sip.

Nyruki brushed aside a lock of her hair, "I liked the one about the cherry blossoms. It was really sweet."

"I like that one myself. I think I've read it every year for fifty years. Ever since Hisana's passing." Byakuya said softly.

Nyruki's soft smile instantly vanished, "O-Oh... I didn't know this was-"

"It's alright. It was a birthday gift from her the winter she took ill. I used to be able to recite every poem from memory for the longest time, but now... I can only recite that one." He said lowly with a long sip.

"How come?"

Byakuya shrugged, "Memories lost to the passing of time and the shifting of hearts."

"I see." Nyruki whispered as she stared down at her lap.

They stayed quiet for a minute while the tea worked to clear Byakuya's head. The sight of Nyruki dying by his hand still flashed before his eyes; The look in her eyes as their life faded, the burnt hole he had put in both her temples. It churned his stomach, but his gut had been right and for that he was thankful.

"I'm glad my gut feeling was correct." Byakuya said after a few minutes, looking up from the swirling tea in his cup at her.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, clutching her now empty cup between both her hands.

"I took your advice. I... extinguished my desire. But just the image of her. I knew it wasn't you when the visage called me by name." Byakuya said, offering her that soft smile that seemed to be reserved only for her.

Nyruki's cheeks began to heat up, "I'm not sure I wanna ask." She looked away from him.

As he drew in a long breath, he slowly reached out, hesitating a moment before his fingers softly cupped her chin and coaxed her to look at him.

"I know you well enough to know when it isn't you. You don't call me by name and that was Kibōyūwaku's mistake. Yes, I desire to hear my name cross your lips, but that alone was enough to tell me that it wasn't you." He said, his deep voice airy and calm.

Nyruki's entire face felt as if it was on fire, "It was that simple?"

Byakuya nodded, "It was." He released her chin.

All Nyruki could manage to do was smile softly at him while he finished his tea. She didn't have the words and the more she thought about what to say, the more her mind was drawing a blank. Her heart thumped hard in her chest, but not unpleasantly so. It was a flutter, a gentle knock against her sternum that spread the soft smile a bit wider.

"I don't mean to pry, but may I inquire about something Rukia told me about?" He asked after a short while.

Nyruki looked up from her hands, "Hmm? About what?"

"Please do not be upset with Rukia, but she was right to tell me regarding your questions about how to access sensitive information from the Great Library." Byakuya said with kind eyes.

Nyruki gulped and sunk into her own shoulders, "Um... I was... I was just..." Words had failed her.

Byakuya raised a hand to silence her, "I am not angry. All I ask is that for any future questions, come to me, as I am the head of the clan, as well as head of clan business."

Nyruki nodded, "I'm sorry. I felt like you'd be angry if I had asked."

"I wouldn't have. As the head of the Kuchiki clan, I oversee many requests to access information within the Great Library. Not all I deem worthy, but some I deem valid. What is it you seek?" He asked calmly and without any indication that he was angry about her inquiries.

Nyruki gripped the back of her neck, "Um... I was," She sighed and hung her head, "I was hoping to look through the Hollow histories to find any sort of information on the Hollow that attacked me."

Byakuya drew in a long, unbroken breath as he set down the tea cup and neatly folded his hands together in his lap.

"How long have you been searching for information?" He asked.

"A while." She still didn't look up at him.

"Nyruki." He breathed.

Blowing out a long sigh, Nyruki finally looked up to face the music, "A few months. I've looked through everything I can in the Great Library, but I can't find anything. Only mentions of an invisible Hollow."

"I must make a confession of my own. I too, have been looking into this Hollow." Byakuya said.

Nyruki gasped, "Really?"

Byakuya nodded, "Yes. I've assigned a few Kuchiki familiars to search through the Great Archives of Hollow History and unfortunately, there is very little. Only mere mentions of this invisible Hollow. I have only been able to compile a basic understanding. Nothing that could help the Department of Research and Development to track this being."

"Oh... So I guess there's no need for me to request access is there." She sighed.

"If I thought it would aid you, I would gladly grant access, but since even my familiars were unable to find anything concrete, I see no need." Byakuya said softly.

"I understand." She sighed again.

"If I may ask, why do you wish to find this Hollow?" He asked.

Nyruki shrugged, "Because it's responsible for everything. It killed Father, it caused me to live in fear for a century while I struggled to survive... Everything." She growled lowly.

"He's also responsible for sending you here." Byakuya said so low, it was almost a whisper.

Nyruki's heart skipped a beat, but she nodded, "Y-Yeah."

"I have half a mind to thank him for it." He said, looking into her crimson and gold eyes.

Nyruki bit her bottom lip, "I may do that just before I kill him."

"That would ensure your honor." He said.

Nyruki briefly smiled, "I just wish there was more I could do."

"As do I. In the meantime, focus on this training. Focus on securing your place within the Gotei 13 and after that, I promise you, I will help you find and kill this Hollow." Byakuya said, offering that barely there smile for her.

Nyruki held her breath as her eyes locked hard with his. That same sincerity she had seen was there, warming the liquid silver until it seemed to be alive with swirls like mixing paint. It caused her heart to skip several more beats the longer she looked and it felt like a breath of fresh Spring air after a gloomy winter to know someone was so willing to help.

Before she could think better of it, Nyruki sprung forward and tackled him backwards, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into his neck.

"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" Nyruki called into his flesh, holding him tightly.

Byakuya's throat lowly rumbled with a deep laugh that sounded like chocolate to Nyruki's ears. It was a sound so delicious, so intoxicating that a hot whoosh flooded her gut, instantly making her let go and scoot back with a mortified expression.

"Oh my gods... I'm so sorry! I can't believe I did that, Captain! I am so so sorry!" Nyruki rattled on with terrified eyes.

Byakuya's rumbling laugh ebbed away, returning his stoic expression that Nyruki instantly wished would give way back to that delicious laugh.

"It's alright, Nyruki. I can't say your reaction was unexpected. It's not like any of them saw anyways." Byakuya said as he glanced at each motionless captain.

Nyruki blushed hard as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "Y-Yeah."

She offered one last smile before they settled back into a comfortable silence, watching each captain with hopes of seeing signs that another would be close to gaining their freedom. Byakuya read his book, while Nyruki sipped at fresh tea that had just been delivered by Byakuya's attendant, along with some small plates of snacks while they waited.

She felt comfortable, content with the silence that was light, somehow refreshing. She sat next to him with a soft smile on her face, periodically catching glimpses of him as he turned a delicate page. Every now and again, they would catch each other looking, and it would cause both to softly grin, but both remained quiet, just enjoying each other's company.

Perhaps there was a chance that Nyruki could do this, as progress had been made.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **Author's Note: So, I've done some thinking, and there is precisely no reason for me to post three times a week if this thing is done. So, instead, I'm posting five times a week. Yup, Monday through Friday I will post so all you lovely readers don't have to wait. Read, review and ENJOY!**

* * *

There was no possible way it could be morning. She refused to believe it.

She had only gotten to sleep a few hours ago, as it had been a late night for both Nyruki and Byakuya. They had sat and waited with hope that more of the captains would gain their freedom from the whiles of Kibōyūwaku, but sadly, none had and once the moon had reached three-quarters of its journey across the sky, Nyruki had pulled them all free.

They had spent another hour after that winding down from their ordeal with a bit more instruction from Nyruki on how to spot the difference between the real source of desires, and the illusions shown to them by her Zanpakutō. By the time everyone had left, they were all nearly asleep on their feet.

By the time Nyruki had gotten back to her room, she had passed out before her head had even hit her pillow.

Now, someone was loudly rapping a strong fist on her door.

"What-" Nyruki groaned, burying her face in her pillow with no desire to get up.

"Oi! Nyruki! Wake up!" Came the voice from the other side of the door.

"No!" Nyruki grumbled back as she hiked up her blanket to cover her head.

A few more pounds sounded at the door, rattling it against its hinges, "Oi! Nyruki! Answer the door!" The voice was grouchy, irritated.

With a rolling groan, Nyruki wrested herself from the comfortable confines of her bed and scuffed her way to the door, if at all to make the pounding stop.

"What?" Nyruki deadpanned as she opened the door and peaked a single, dreary eye through the crack.

"So it lives." Renji grinned as he crossed his arms.

" _It_ is going back to bed. I only just got to sleep a couple hours ago." Nyruki complained as she made to close the door.

However, Renji's large hand shot out and stopped it from closing.

"Unfortunately, you've gotta get up. Captain's asking for ya." Renji said, keeping his hand in place so Nyruki couldn't just shut the door in his face.

Nyruki's eyes instantly shot open, "Huh? Why?"

Renji shrugged, "He just said he needed to talk to you about a few things, namely the training and something about some information."

Nyruki scrubbed a hand down her face, "Alright. Alright. Tell him I'll be up in a few minutes."

Nyruki shut the door, this time without hinderance from her Lieutenant and began to the process of getting dressed. She combed her hair and put it up into her typical long ponytail with the dyed white locks instantly falling free. The golden band found its way around her arm before she wrapped herself in her Shihakushō and tied her obi sash and secured her Zanpakutō to her hip. She was glad that it never took her long to dress in the morning.

She emerged out into the hallway and immediately headed for the Captain's office, saying a few hellos to other members of Squad 6 as she passed them by. She was still very tired and made no attempt to stop the yawn that tightened in her jaw as she knocked on the Captain's door.

"Enter."

She pricked her fingertip at the inside corner of her eyes to clear away the sleep as she opened the door into a room that was entirely too bright. The window was open to allow the fresh air and absurdly bright sun to shine in, bathing her Captain's back in its heat and backlighting him so that she couldn't see his face.

"I hope you slept well." Byakuya said without looking up from his papers that his pen was furiously scratching over.

Nyruki stepped inside and shut the door, "All couple hours of it." She grumbled as she plopped down in the chair across from him and heavily slouched.

Nyruki heaved a heavy sigh from her lungs as she lolled her head back to rest it against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. Even sitting like this threatened to loll her back to sleep.

Byakuya's pen stilled and rose from the page so that its ink didn't blot against it and ruin its perfect strokes, "Are you still that tired?"

"Pardon my tone, Captain, but how are you not?" Nyruki shrugged, but made no attempt to lift her head.

"I never said that I wasn't. I would very much like to get some more rest, but duty comes first." Byakuya said, returning to his work and finishing with his page, placing it on top of the growing stack next to him.

Nyruki raised her head and glared, "Don't you ever slow down, Captain?"

This time, Byakuya's eyes shifted up from his papers, "I am not often granted the opportunity."

"I'm beginning to feel your pain." Nyruki sighed and yawned.

A short huff of air left Byakuya's nose as he replaced his pen into its holder next to its bottle of black ink and opened an unseen drawer next to him.

"I thought you would find this interesting." He said as he pulled a plain folder from the drawer and tossed it on his desk in front of her.

One of Nyruki's eyebrows popped up as she just stared at the folder for a moment before reaching forward and picking it up.

"What is it?" She asked as she opened it, revealing its contents to be several papers loaded with lots, and lots of words that she was too tired to read through.

"One of the Kuchiki familiars from the Great Library reported this morning with that. It seems they were able to piece together a spotty history for the Hollow that attacked you." He said as he interlocked his hands in his lap.

Nyruki was suddenly fully awake.

"W-What? Really?" She gasped.

Byakuya nodded once, "Yes. It would seem the last evidence of this Hollow was four years ago, several miles south of the 80th District of the Southern Rukongai, not far from an outlaying village within the forest."

"T-That's where I was." She exhaled.

"Yes. After that, all evidence of the Hollow disappeared. There were no missing reports and no one with adequate spiritual pressure had sensed the Hollow until about a month ago." Byakuya continued.

Nyruki's brows furrowed hard, "Where?"

However, Byakuya raised a hand to calm her enthusiasm, "It's not that easy, I'm afraid. One of our scouting teams from the reconnaissance division sensed the presence of a Hollow, but no visual confirmation was ever obtained. Upon more investigation, the scouting team found evidence of a Garganta." He said.

Nyruki gasped again, "What? That means he's gone!"

"Calm yourself, Nyruki. I'm afraid that is the case for now. Until this Hollow makes himself known, the only thing we can do is lay in wait." Byakuya said calmly.

Nyruki's shoulders slumped in defeat as she turned her eyes down to the papers in her hands. Her golden eyes skimmed over the words, reading as fast as she could simply to get an idea of what the Kuchiki familiars were able to determine. A lot of what she read was speculation, assumed from several corresponding facts that seemed to match their conclusions, but truly, nothing was concrete, proven as actual fact.

There just wasn't much to go on.

"Is there any way for us to know where he went?" Nyruki asked, briefly glancing at him before looking back to the file.

"I'm afraid not, Nyruki. I can only speculate, but from what I've read, this Hollow left Soul Society to ensure his own survival. Far too many souls here could possess the required spiritual pressures to sense him. Any speculated attacks were all centered far away from large gatherings of people and villages. This Hollow is old, and cunning and with this report of a recent Garganta, he either went to Hueco Mundo, or the World of the Living." Byakuya explained.

Nyruki closed the file with a sigh as she tossed it back onto his desk, "Damn. There's gotta be something, Captain."

Byakuya shook his head, "I'm afraid not. In regards to the other order of business I am required to speak with you about, the Head-Captain has issued a summons for a captain's meeting this afternoon." He lightly sighed.

Nyruki gulped, "What's it about?"

Byakuya drew in a long, unbroken breath that almost seemed sullen, "It is regarding an order from Central 46."

"W-What? I-I thought the Head-Captain wanted to keep this out of Central 46!" Nyruki's eyes were wide with instant worry.

"I'm afraid that was never part of the deal, Nyruki. Even the Head-Captain is required to report all Gotei 13 business to Central 46, no matter what, which means that our mishap with Captain Kurotsuchi was also reported." Byakuya said, remaining calm and hiding the bit of nerves that softly somersaulted in his stomach.

Nyruki gripped her hands on top of her head, "This is bad. Isn't it."

"It's possible. We won't know the details until this afternoon." He said.

Nyruki shook her head as she looked around the office and harshly bit her lower lip. She was at a complete loss of what to do, if there was even something she could do. Orders from Central 46 were absolute. None could question them, not even a captain and if they had issued an order regarding her, than no amount of fighting it would garish her a reprieve.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that she had bitten her lip so hard, she drew a small drop of blood.

"Relax, Nyruki. Take a few deep breaths." Said Byakuya, having come to stand next to her chair.

Nyruki tried to breathe, but every breath she took was shaky, "I doubt I'll be able to now."

Byakuya released a small sigh as he held out a small folded cloth from behind his back.

"Here. Dab your lip." He said quietly.

Nyruki looked at the cloth for a short moment before taking it and pressing it to her lip that stung from the tooth mark she had bitten into it.

"Thank you, Captain." She mumbled.

"Of course." He said as he returned to his desk.

Nyruki sighed once more, again with a shaky breath as she dabbed the blood from her lip. It didn't take long for it to stop bleeding, but the lingering sting continued to spike the more her tongue slicked over it.

That very bottom lip began to quiver as her golden eyes shone with the reflection of the mid-morning sun's rays. That sheen built up a thick layer of tears that overflowed their dams, pouring long unbroken streams down her cheeks that dripped off her jaw.

Somehow, things were falling apart.

Unable to bite back the emotion, she buried her face into her hands and quietly cried.

In her dark, tear filled world, she felt alone, adrift in an unending sea of blackness that she wished would simply swallow her up and let her drown. But that sensation of feeling alone didn't last, as a pair of warm hands softly grasped her wrists and pulled them away from her face.

With tear filled eyes, she sniffled and looked at him, having knelt down next to her with eyes gentle and caring. He had shifted from Captain, to Byakuya.

"I know you're scared and I will be truly honest with you, I am too, but whatever happens at this meeting, you won't be alone." He said quietly as he raised a hand and swiped away a large tear with his thumb from her cheek.

Nyruki swallowed a sob, "How do you do that?" She sniffled.

"Do what?" He asked, moving his hands from her wrists to grasp her hands.

"Go from Captain to... this." Nyruki said with a firm crackle in her voice.

Byakuya exhaled and the corners of his mouth twitched up, "Do you mean make the shift from Captain to potential lover?"

That very word made Nyruki's heart spin cartwheels, but she nodded and curled her fingers around his hands.

"It is not without great effort. I have found myself experiencing moments where I wish I could simply be... this way with you, but I know I can't. Not as we sit right now as captain and subordinate." He said, swiping away another tear with his thumb.

"I know." Nyruki whispered and nodded.

"All you have to do is give me the word and your transfer will be granted. All I have to do is date the paperwork." He said, gently brushing his thumbs over the back of her hands.

Nyruki softly sniffled, "And when I'm ready, I'll tell you."

His mouth twitched with another near invisible smile as he admired the sparkle in her eyes. Despite the redness from her tears, their golden color was warm and the added sheen from the tears only made them shine like gems all that much more. They were still beautiful and the fact that they were shedding tears tugged with an ache at his heart.

He softly sighed and released her hands as he rose up on his knees enough to wrap his arms around her and cradled her head against his shoulder.

This time, she didn't flinch.

Instead, her arms found their way around his trunk and her hands clutched a handful each of his captain's haori.

"You aren't alone in this, Nyruki. You never were." He said in a whisper as he just held her with a soft hand resting against the nape of her neck.

Nyruki's tears had stopped falling from her eyes, but she still sniffled as she buried her face in his neck.

"I'm starting to get that impression." She mumbled against his skin.

After a few moments, Byakuya pulled away, releasing his embrace of her as he placed his hands on either side of her neck with thumbs grazing along her jaw.

"Try not to worry. Whatever happens at this meeting, there will always be a solution." He said.

Nyruki nodded and dried her face on the hem of her top, dabbing away what tears remained and dried her nose that luckily didn't run like someone had turned on the faucet.

She couldn't deny that he was right, that she was better off not worrying, but no amount of willpower was going to keep her from it. She was worried and it showed on her face.

"What do you need of me?" He asked softly as he finally released her head, but kept his eyes soft.

Nyruki shrugged, "There's nothing. This is my fight."

Byakuya sighed slowly as he stood and cupped her chin so she would continue to look at him.

"Then fight it with the upmost ferocity that I know you can and defend your pride." He said, letting go of her chin.

"And what is my pride?" She asked.

Byakuya clasped his hands behind his back, "Only you can answer that."

Nyruki just nodded and rose from the chair.

"In the meantime, go about your training for the day and I will come to you when it's time for the meeting." He said as he walked back around his desk and sat down to continue his paperwork.

"Alright." Nyruki bowed and left the office.

She wasn't sure she could focus on training, but if she managed to, it would help her get through the day instead of just wondering, waiting and working herself up into a panic over what was to happen at the meeting which she was sure, wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Out of all the places in the Seireitei, the captains meeting room was one of her least favorite places to be. It was overly dark, even with the daylight outside and the air was stuffy despite the open windows. She didn't enjoy being in there, as every time she was, something less than good always seemed to happen and the voice in the back of her head was telling her that this time was no different.

The captains, all of them, were lined up in two rows like they always were with the Head-Captain standing on the small raised stage at the front. Nyruki stood between them, facing the Head-Captain as his old eyes studied her. The silence was tense and it felt heavy, constricting even, as it pressed down on her lungs and made it hard to breathe.

With the smallest bit of luck, the tense silence was finally broken.

"I would like to begin this meeting with acquiring some details about what happened during the previous week." Said the Head-Captain, whose gruff voice seem far too loud in the confined space.

However, no one started talking. They all just glanced at each other.

"Well?" The Head-Captain arced an old brow.

With a step forward, Soi-Fon began to speak.

"Head-Captain, we had gotten trapped inside one of Sawada's illusions and had to fight our way out thanks to Captain Kurotsuchi." She said, kneeling down into a low bow.

Nyruki glanced at her Captain, whose brows had furrowed hard into a sneer. In fact, he wasn't the only one glaring at the small captain, as Captain Ukitake and Kyōraku had both begun to angrily glare.

"It wasn't my fault you all were too weak minded to see through the illusion." Captain Kurotsuchi said, crossing his thin arms.

"Too weak minded? Look who's talking! If it wasn't for you, we never would have gotten trapped in Nyruki's inner world!" Kyōraku snapped.

"Trapped? Hardly. I simply took the time to examine the research that the illusion provided so that I may have a better understanding for possible future applications." Kurotsuchi said without looking at the other captains.

"And what future applications do you think creating grotesque interpretations of us would offer?" Byakuya asked with a strong scowl.

Kurotsuchi shrugged, "I suppose we will never know, now will we. I didn't get a chance to examine the procedural research before that girl's Zanpakutō spirit abruptly halted everything."

"Girl? She's hardly a girl!" Captain Ukitake growled.

"Fine... Woman then if you're so inclined to focus on such trivial things." Kurotsuchi said simply.

"What is trivial, is that you seem to lack the ability to admit your own faults. Your little lapse in judgement nearly got Nyruki and I both killed." Byakuya said stiffly.

"But it didn't, so I see no problem." Kurotsuchi shrugged again.

"You conniving weasel!-" Ukitake was cut off.

"Should we discuss that research you claim not to have gotten a chance to look at? It was a how-to book on torture and mutilation. What it took to fuze the captains with our Zanpakutōs and destroy the Seireitei!" Kyōraku hissed through slightly clenched teeth, which was rare for the man.

"Having a disposable army of creatures like that could prove fruitful-"

"And would destroy any sort of honor and pride you possess. As a captain amongst the Gotei 13, and scientist, how can you put aside your pride with such abandon as to actually _**want**_ to create those uncontrollable creatures?" Byakuya interrupted.

"I could control them just fine-" Kurotsuchi was interrupted again.

"That is enough!" The Head-Captain roared, banging his cane on the wood of his raised stage.

All the captains silenced themselves.

"You bicker like children! Is this how the captains of the Gotei 13 act?" The Head-Captain asked firmly.

Again, none opened their mouths.

"This was all just an illusion correct, Nyruki Sawada?" The Head-Captain asked.

"In a sense, yes, but it was based on Captain Kurotsuchi's deepest desires." Nyruki said, bowing low at her waist as she spoke.

"I see." The Head-Captain grumbled, "Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, if any evidence arises that you are, indeed, pursing these desires, than your punishment with be far worse than anything you imagine from this little... delusion of yours. Am I understood?" He added, setting his old eyes firm on the blue haired captain.

Kurotsuchi gulped, "Yes, Head-Captain."

"Good. I imagine you rather enjoy your position and freedom to conduct your research... within reason." Said the Head-Captain dully.

Again, Kurotsuchi gulped, "Yes, Head-Captain."

Head-Captain Yamamoto's eyes shifted from the Captain of Squad 12, back to Nyruki, "I suppose that brings me to our next order of business; The order given by Central 46."

Nyruki instantly stiffened, but she drew in a long breath to keep herself as calm as possible. This was the part she had been dreading most throughout the day and she had done her best to focus on the day's training, but no matter how hard she practiced, there was always that tiny nagging voice in the back of her head that refused to leave her alone.

"From the beginning, Central 46 has been aware of Nyruki Sawada's powers and wished to see where that power would take her. Throughout these past four years, she has shown that she have a healthy fear of her power which has earned her a small amount of trust within Central 46. This is why they gave me the digression on how best to proceed." The Head-Captain said.

All remained silent as they waited for the Head-Captain to continue.

"However, with this recent week that the captains, as well as Nyruki Sawada, were left in a coma, Central 46 has made the decision to accelerate the timeline." He continued.

Nyruki's eyes widened.

"Central 46 has made the decision to cut the time I had alloted in half, but have allowed three more days to complete this training before the final test is given."

"What?" Nearly all the captains, and Nyruki, yelped at the same time.

"Silence!" He boomed, "On the fourth day, the test will be administered."

"What does this test entail?" Byakuya asked, his brows still furrowed hard.

"A battle between the captains and Nyruki Sawada will commence. The objective of this battle, is to see if the captains have gained the ability to break free of her Zanpakutō during combat situations." The Head-Captain said.

"What are the terms of this battle?" Captain Ukitake asked sullenly.

"For Nyruki to win and earn her standing within the Gotei 13, at least one captain must break free and stop her before she reaches me and acquires my captain's haori. However, if no captain is able to garnish their freedom, and Nyruki is able to acquire my captain's haori, then Central 46 will deem her power a threat and have her Zanpakutō destroyed and her place within the Gotei 13 will be revoked." The Head-Captain explained.

"So Nyruki must lose this battle in order to stay." Byakuya said calmly.

The Head-Captain nodded, "Those are the terms set by Central 46."

Those were her terms and they were set in stone. Until Central 46 had gotten involved, she had a chance, evident in that one such captain had managed to break free of Kibōyūwaku's hold. Now however, everything rested on that one captain's shoulders with the hope that he could do it again and that hope was fading fast.

Her plans were falling apart.

As she drew in an incredibly shaky breath, she stood as still as possible, hoping to turn invisible, but no amount of wishing was going to grant her that wish. The moment the Head-Captain dismissed the meeting, Captain Ukitake and Kyōraku made their way to her while Byakuya headed for the door.

"Captain Soi-Fon?" He called out with just enough volume to garish her attention.

Soi-Fon stopped just before the door and looked back over her shoulder at the much taller man.

"Yes, Captain Kuchiki?" Her voice was cold and collected.

"If you ever go against our collective decisions again, I will personally ensure that a new captain of Squad 2 is appointed." Byakuya said cooly and with his silver eyes narrowed.

Soi-Fon turned around and crossed her arms tightly, "Is that a threat, Captain Kuchiki?"

However, Byakuya remained entirely silent as he regarded the small, but deadly woman. She managed to hold his stern gaze, but the more he held hers, the angrier he began to boil. It had been years, just over a century in fact, since his anger had gotten the best of him, but there was something about her that made him near that edge.

Without another word, Byakuya simply turned and went to the trio still in the center of the meeting room.

Nyruki stood rigid between Ukitake and Kyōraku with the former slowly rubbing her back. Her eyes were frozen open, unblinking, and staring off into an unseen oblivion out in front of her. The more he watched, the more he saw the trembling in her shoulders and as much as he wanted to ease her, he would refrain from doing so.

"Nyruki-" He started, only to be silenced when she shot an angry look at all three of them.

"I don't want words of encouragement. I don't want empty promises, or... or false hopes that we'll be able to somehow pull this off. It's over. Do you three here me? This is over." Nyruki hissed angrily as she shrugged Ukitake's hand from her shoulder.

"Flower-" Ukitake tried.

Nryuki just spun around and stormed passed them in a whoosh, running through the open door of the meeting room and out into the warm daylight of the mid-afternoon sun where she disappeared in a flash.

Ukitake made to follow her, but stopped when Byakuya's arm shot out across his chest.

"Let her go. She needs some time." Byakuya said, drawing in a calming breath.

"He's right, Jūshirō. Let her digest what happened." Kyōraku said, resting a hand on Ukitake's shoulder.

Ukitake's bright eyes saddened as his shoulders slumped, "Poor thing... All she's ever worked for is about to be ripped away."

Byakuya lowered his arm, "Then it is up to us to make sure that it isn't."

"How? None of us have-" Ukitake was interrupted.

"I have. Last night." Byakuya said.

"Then... Then it's up to you to make sure she doesn't lose it all. Byakuya, please, please make sure that these last four years haven't been a waste." Ukitake said as he drew in a long breath and stood up straight.

"I will."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon had droned on as if it was stuck in slow motion. Life around her seemed to go on without her, without acknowledging her existence as she sat on the roof of the Squad 6 barracks with the sun dipping low in the orange colored sky.

It was proof that life would go on without her.

But as she sat, lost in her own thoughts, she knew that the time had come. There was no more time to put it off, or push it into the back of her mind. She had to act now, with, or without any information to go on.

With a heavy sigh, Nyruki rose to her feet and flash stepped from the roof down to the ground. She entered the main building and wound her way through the hallways until she reached the double wide door with the carved silhouette of a camellia. She knew he'd still be there, as he was always at the Squad barracks until well after the sun had dipped below the horizon. It offered him a chance to finish the day's paperwork, as he refused to take any of it home.

Holding her breath, Nyruki softly knocked.

"Enter."

She opened the door and slipped inside, immediately shutting it as quietly as the latch would allow before she turned to face the man whom was still seated at his desk.

"Good evening, Nyruki." Byakuya said lowly as he set his pen into its handcrafted brass holder.

Nyruki sighed, but stayed right by the closed door. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out as she just watched him straighten up his desk.

After several moments of silence, Byakuya finished with his desk and looked up just in time to catch a single tear drip from her jaw. Her eyes were shrouded by the white strands of her hair, but he didn't need to see them to know that she was struggling.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Byakuya asked softly, which earned him her gaze that was glassy and sad.

With her bottom lip trembling, Nyruki knew there were no words that could convey what she felt. No words that could adequately describe what she was feeling at that very moment. Only actions could, and with the slightest hardening of her resolve, she acted.

She crossed the distance between them in only a few steps, where her lips crashed against his with enough force to stutter him backwards a step. Her arms wrapped around his neck as their lips began to dance, effortlessly, smoothly, and his own arms wrapped around her waist to hold her close to his body.

The kiss was just as it had been that night in the hot spring; Hot, wet and mutual. She wanted this, to kiss him, to be close to him, to hold him and feel him against her. His tongue laid hot drifts along hers, never faltering in its motions, never questioning its fluid strokes that boiled her belly. Hers did its best to keep up, but hers would stutter, randomly changing direction. Hers wasn't nearly as confident.

They had kissed so long that her lungs had begun to burn with the desperate need for air, so she withdrew her tongue from his mouth and parted, but stayed pressed against him.

But after several moments, she backed away and started for the door, slipping from his grasp that he made no attempt to hinder. It was his voice that stopped her retreat.

"You don't intended to show up to this battle royale do you." Byakuya said lowly with slow, labored breaths from the intense kiss they just shared.

Nyruki couldn't bring herself to turn around and look at him, so instead, she stayed facing the door. Frozen.

"H-How did you know?" She asked with a gulp.

"That is not the kind of kiss you share with someone you intend to see again." Byakuya said.

Nyruki held her breath, but she had to look at him. He deserved that much for all he'd done for her in the short amount of time they had had regular contact. He had kept his distance out of a desire to give her time to adjust to the idea, had even helped her gather information about the invisible Hollow. He hadn't factored into her plan that she had begun four years ago.

She finally turned around to look at him.

"Was this part of your plan from the start?" He asked calmly with eyes sad that ached in Nyruki's heart.

She nodded.

"You decided four years ago, that you would train and gain the power you needed to go after this Hollow on your own, didn't you." He said, already knowing the answer.

Again, Nyruki nodded.

"Do I not deserves words?"

Nyruki gulped, "If I felt words would be enough, I'd use them."

Byakuya drew in a long breath as he took a single step forward, testing to see her reaction. When she made no move, no indication that the step caused her distress, he took another.

She stayed perfectly still until he came to stand right in front of her with one single step between them.

Despite his closeness, she couldn't look at him, so instead, she stared at her fidgeting hands picking at her fingernails until he gently cupped her chin.

"Do you not trust me to help?" He asked in just above a whisper.

"I trust you, but this isn't your fight. This is mine that I have to fight on my own. I can't ask you to put yourself on the front line of this." Nyruki said, her voice a whisper.

"I have spent a hundred years putting myself on the front lines. This would be no different." He said, locking his eyes with hers.

"But this is my fight for my honor. I clear this... I clear my history." Nyruki said.

Byakuya released her chin, but stayed where he stood, "Where will you go?"

Nyruki shrugged, "I thought I'd try the World of the Living."

"And what will you do when you get there? How do you plan on getting there?" He asked, purposefully in rapid succession. He knew she had no idea.

"I... I-I don't know." She sighed.

"Then let me help. I will go with you." Byakuya said.

Nyruki sucked in a sharp breath, "I can't ask you to do that, Captain. If we both take off, than what would the repercussions be?"

"Nothing we won't be able to figure out together. But I cannot, in good conscience, let you go alone. I have resources in the World of the Living. We will find and dispatch this Hollow together." He said, taking a half step closer that she made no move to back away from. It's not like she could anyways with the closed door behind her.

Nyruki's eyes stung, but she blinked it away before taking a half step closer to him, "We'd be walking into this blind."

"Then we'll find a way to see."

Nyruki's heart skipped several beats as she stretched her neck up where her lips were met halfway with his. This kiss was slow, tender even with no tongues and only minimal movement. It was to remind them what each other tasted like, what they smelt like. It was warm and comforting for Nyruki to know that his words had rung true. She wasn't alone.

After several moments, they broke their much slower, much more tender kiss where Byakuya gently rested his fingertips against her cheek.

"Meet me tonight at 1am at the Senkaimon." He whispered as he brushed aside a lock of her hair.

Nyruki nodded and drifted her fingers down his neck, "Thank you."

With one final kiss that only lasted the length of time it takes to take a breath, Nyruki slipped out of the office and returned to her room where she laid down, determined to get some sleep and make 1am arrive faster.

* * *

The moon was high overhead in the crystal clear sky, hanging just over the cusp of its trek across the sky. A gentle breeze had developed throughout the evening and whistled through the silent streets of the Seireitei, buffeting just enough to hum in the ears.

Atop the Senkaimon tower, the breeze was stronger, but only just, whipping through long jet black hair to splay it out in sweeping strands. The massive red and ornate doors of the Senkaimon were closed, but softly lit with the fire from the large brazers atop the surrounding pillars. The light flickered against the gold trim of the doors, giving them life that loomed overhead.

She waited, hidden in a shadow at the base of one of those pillars for Byakuya to show and just as the time arrived, 1am, a cloaked figured topped the stairs with hood up, obscuring their face.

She watched quietly as the figure stopped nearby and looked around for a moment before they reached up with elegant hands and slipped off the hood to reveal their face. It was Byakuya and he had not only removed the silver hair piece from the crown of his head, but his custom, gold trimmed captain's haori as well.

"You can come out now, Nyruki." Byakuya said as he glanced to his right, having known exactly where she was.

Nyruki stepped out from the shadows and walked up to him where he reached under his cloak and pulled out a folded one that was identical to his. It immediately unfurled with the wind as he slung it over her shoulders and tied it in the front.

"I'm glad you came." Nyruki said as she flipped up the hood onto her head.

"As am I. Are you ready?" He asked, doing the same.

"As I'll ever be."

The hooded pair approached the massive red doors of the Senkaimon where Byakuya pulled his Zanpakutō and thrust its blade into the seem between the doors. A blinding white line shot down the seem that grew wider and wider as the doors opened, creaking low with a resonating groan that was swallowed by the wind. The light was pure white, blinding in the night, but instantly gave way to two, small jet black butterflies that emerged from the white depths.

With their Hell Butterflies to protect them, they entered the Dangai without the knowledge that they had been seen by a man standing on top of the towering pillars with long, flowing white hair that shone silver in the moonlight.

* * *

 **Author's Note: ROLL CREDITS! Yup... This is the end of Part 1, but fear not! Tomorrow, Wednesday, I post Chapter 1 of Part 2 as a separate story so fave me, or keep your eyes peeled for Silver and Gold: Part Two: The Hollow!**


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